Nocturne's Return: Revamped
by Princess of Rose
Summary: Rewrite. When an accident leaves Demyx human and on the run from the Organization, the Nocturne finds himself in quite a bit of trouble. Now caught up in a race against Death, what will Demyx do when he finally can't run away?
1. Initiation

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, any of the characters, etc, etc. I don't even own Demyx's human name.**

Nocturne's Return Revamped

Chapter One

Initiation

It was_ so_ cold.

The floor was cold. _I _was cold, to the bone, with ice running through my veins.

The first thing I heard was my own shallow breathing, and I felt my head throb. The last thing I remembered was Roxas's Keyblade hitting my skull. What did he have against me? I thought he was a pretty cool guy. I thought he was my friend, too. I guess not.

I sat up, shivering. My whole body just _hurt_. Not with the sort of ache caused by bruises, but muscle ache, even bone ache. What the heck had happened to me? I rubbed my hands on the tops of my arms, trying to get the warmth back into… well, anything.

The first thing I thought of was the Superior. He was going to be furious. Then I'd have to face whatever punishment that he issued- spending a day with _stupid _Marluxia in his _stupid _garden watering his _stupid_ plants, or test Vexen's next potion that will render me temporarily blind and give me a splitting migraine (not unlike the way my head felt right now… ugh… had I been drugged or something?), or taking countless hours to alphabetize Zexion's library only to forget the entire H section so I had to do it all over again, or…

I stopped myself and felt another chill as I remembered they were all dead. However, that didn't really reassure me any. In fact, I almost felt a little sad… almost.

I didn't know why I was so _freezing_. The air wasn't even that cold, from what I could tell. But the cobbles under me felt so icy.

Cobbles? Where was I?

I looked up and saw a pale purple sky, and when I looked around, I discovered I was in an alley. The cobblestones continued right up the walls, not bothering to stop for a building. Though there were exits, I couldn't help but feel claustrophobic.

The chill faded a bit, and I became aware of how much I ached. What was going on?

I tried to remember what had happened before I blacked out- I had to have, or I was really good at getting disoriented. I remembered fighting Roxas- at least; he looked almost exactly like Roxas, what with new clothes, a different hairstyle, and new friends. I felt a mental nudge, but I couldn't place the nostalgia. It had been Roxas… but not?

Anyway, my mission had apparently been to 'liberate his true disposition.' I didn't know what that meant, as words had been Zexion's thing, but I interpreted it as 'beat the snot out of him until he begs for mercy.'

Ahem. I failed. Epically. I'd told them- lots of times- that I wasn't suited for combat. Did they care? No. I bet they just wanted to get rid of me. I felt a hollow little ping of rejection.

That little smidge of emotion sent almost a convulsion of pain through my chest. Dots scatted across my vision, and it was hard to breathe for a moment. But the pain passed, leaving a lingering soreness that I couldn't explain, and left me with my mouth hanging open.

What was that?

I must have been hallucinating or something. I couldn't feel. I was a Nobody. I didn't have a heart. It had to be something to do with my fight with Roxas. He had hit me pretty hard. That had to be it. This was probably all just a dream… right… of course. Next thing I knew, I would be waking up with creepy Vexen watching me in the infirmary. Then Xemnas would come in, yell, and threaten me with his light sabers.

Okay, I know they're supposedly called 'ethereal blades,' but they looked like light sabers to me. I used to love that movie when I had a heart.

Not to mention, Vexen was dead. That didn't make me feel any better.

I put my head between my knees, trying to wake up or something. Despite the pinches I gave myself, nothing happened.

Either I was having a really vivid dream, or something was wrong.

Slowly, stretching my aching muscles, I gradually brought myself to a stand. The world reeled and I had to grip the wall for support. My stomached heaved inexplicitly and I nearly was sick.

I almost collapsed to my knees. I felt weak, and sick. My eyelids fluttered. I wanted nothing more than to sleep this off. So tired…

Now I felt too warm, instead of too cold. I put the back of one hand to my forehead. Nobodies couldn't get fevers; their blood was too thick to get that warm…

I groped for a potion, but I didn't have any, so I turned to magic. However, it was burnt out, gone. I guess I had used it all in the battle with Roxas. It wouldn't replenish itself for another few hours, and I couldn't just stay here. What if I was seen?

Shakily, I managed to walk out of the alleyway into the opening, feeling too tired just to stick to the shadows.

I looked back once and was glad I had. My sitar was leaning against the wall right where I had woken up. I couldn't believe that I'd nearly forgotten it… yet, why hadn't it vanished as soon as I'd passed out?

What was wrong with me? I'd felt _rejection_. I was so cold and then so warm, my whole body hurt, and then after I'd felt that little emotion my chest seized up like I was having a freaking heart attack.

My hand flew to my chest.

This was not possible.

Suddenly I was wide-awake. "Oh, my gosh," I gasped, feeling… scared for some reason.

No. I couldn't have a heart. This was all a dream. Of course. When I woke up, I would…

_How _would I wake up?

Was I… just imagining that I'd been able to run from the battle with Roxas? Had he, despite our supposed friendship, managed to kill me, and I was in some bizarre afterlife?

Nobodies didn't get an afterlife, I reminded myself. But was that really true? None of the dead members had come back to tell us.

I grasped the neck of my sitar, pressing it against me. I felt a bit better, but just a little bit.

I crept out of the alley and into the sunlight. The light hitting my face made me remember the ghost of a memory…

I snapped out of it and walked along the cobblestone walls, which I soon discovered were houses. Everything here was stone and wood, looking very sturdy and… oddly enough, homey. The Castle where I lived was never like this…

A sign caught my eye. There were a bunch of them, all decorated colorfully in red, neon green, and blue. _Synthesis booths now open in Hollow Bastion! Store located in the Market Square._ Hollow Bastion… was that the name of this world? It sounded familiar…

Where was I even going? Why hadn't I just portaled back in the first place? Because I thought this was a dream? Of course it wasn't… I had just hit my head hard. I'd be fine in a few hours. Right?

I lifted my arm to open a portal, but nothing happened, so I tried again. That failed, too.

Christ… what was wrong with me?

I was really worrying now- when I rounded a corner and jumped back. Locals.

Well, what could I do now? I could go back to the alley and try the other way… but I was pretty sure that was a dead end.

I shook my head. I would just have to sneak around them. Due to the many recon missions I'd been sent on, I knew how to make myself invisible. This wasn't a particularly easy thing to do, since I wore a black coat and worlds had a tendency to be bright- and this one was no exception. I sighed and took in a deep breath, creeping around the wall slowly, painfully. I pressed myself up against it and tried to drag my sitar as little as possible, lest it make any noise.

Despite my near utter invisibility, I was seen. A girl with a long brown braid tapped her friend's shoulder. "Leon, is he with them?"

I felt my eyes go wide. Darnit. I squeezed my sitar's neck harder. Hopefully he wasn't hostile… I had no way to escape, and he looked like the type to chase those who ran…

The guy whirled around. He was about my age, with brown, slightly spiked hair and a scary looking knife-thing. His lips curled into a sneer, and then a snarl. "You!" He hissed.

I grabbed a hold of my sitar's fingerboard. "Dance, water, dance!" The girl gasped as the man was drenched and temporarily knocked off his feet.

Instinctively, I took off running. The man addressed as Leon stood up. "Aerith, tell the others the Organization's here!" He yelled at the girl, and turned to chase me.

Thing was, I knew I was outmatched. I was weak, sick, and disoriented.

"Yeah, you just keep on running, waterboy!" Leon taunted.

I felt almost a snarl crawl up my throat. I struck a hard chord and it hit him, dead on. I noted the fury, and I felt an even bigger dose of fear. "You're asking for it," I muttered anyway.

Leon said nothing and stuck me with his knife-thing. I felt pain spasm down my arm, adding to the soreness. I tried to stop the sound, but I cried out. He grabbed me by the front of my coat and yanked me forward. Our noses nearly touched, but it was not intimate. His eyes held a strange sort of bloodlust.

"Get out," Leon hissed, and threw me to the ground. I watched him walk away, fighting tears for the first time in who knows how long. Now I knew what an injury to one's pride felt like. He was so much stronger than me…

Was Vexen experimenting on me? He'd been trying to figure out a way to give Nobodies emotions without a heart.

What had I felt? So much… and almost nothing. Rejection, fury, fear, and an injured pride to boot. The pain and coldness didn't count, as they had more to do with nerves, but they seemed more vivid than I remembered…

I turned my sitar over, stroking the strings lightly, and tried to sit up normally. I just hurt too much.

I heard the sound of a dark corridor and looked up. Saïx was staring down at me.

"Number IX," he greeted coldly.

I nodded in acknowledgment. "Number VII."

"Where have you been? We've been looking all over for you. You're supposed to be at the Coliseum. Did you at least get the stone?"

"Yeah," I told him, searching my pocket, but it was empty. _Roxas must have taken it!_

Saïx scoffed. He grabbed me by my wounded arm and yanked me up. I cried out again.

"Demyx, what did you do to yourself now?" He asked in his monotone voice.

"I fell," I lied. I didn't want to let him know I'd let a human beat me, not when Nobodies were supposedly so powerful, so superior. Then why, I thought in a rush, were we trying to _become_ them?

Saïx dragged me through the corridor, and suddenly we were back at the Castle. All these years and it still wasn't home to me… We didn't stop at the infirmary so I could be healed, but kept right on going. The whole time Saïx kept a tight grip on my arm.

"Where are we going?" I asked, feeling fear surge up (_this was supposed to be a dream!_).

"You have failed in your mission, so you must face the consequences," he stated with almost a smirk. "I'm surprised it hasn't happened already."

I took in a quick breath. "What…?"

Saïx cut me off when we reached a door. I'd never seen it before, but he knocked and the door slid open. Saïx unexpectedly let go of me and I stumbled forward. "I have found Number IX," he said.

"Good work, Number VII," a deep voice praised from behind a desk. I looked up, taking another quick breath, and saw Xemnas peering over some paperwork. He looked up and smiled in a fake way. "Hello, IX."

I felt like screaming, _my name is Demyx!_ The way he gave us numbers, and referred to us with them, seemed to take away my identity. But I didn't speak. I didn't want this day to get any worse. Instead I said, "Good morning, Superior."

"You are dismissed," Xemnas said to Saïx.

"But…" he sputtered. Saïx thought that Xemnas's business, as well as mine, and everyone else's, was his, too.

"I repeat, you are dismissed, Number VII," Xemnas repeated, signing a paper.

Saïx nodded, still a bit shocked, and disappeared.

"Please sit down, Number IX," Xemnas offered in an almost polite tone. His voice was even and civil. Would the worst I get really be a lecture? Could I get that lucky?

I sat in the chair across from his desk. It was hard and my thigh muscles ached.

"I am thinking that you have a perfectly reasonable explanation for failing this mission, no?" He asked, looking up from his papers to me. He was wearing a pair of thin reading glasses and took them off, setting them carefully aside.

I stared, groping for words. "Well… I… I tried to fight him… but… he was just… so strong. I wasn't really thinking at the time, but I ran away, injured. I was just trying to save myself, really."

"Do you have the Olympus Stone?"

"Well, no." I hung my head in shame. "I guess I must have dropped it somehow."

Xemnas let out a deep sigh, and I flinched, but he didn't move to attack me. He didn't even raise his voice. "I see."

"So," I mumbled, trying to suck it up and deal with it, "what's my punishment?"

The Superior closed his eyes. "Strange of you to ask. If I'm correct, you don't like work much, do you?"

There was no good way to answer that. I shook my head.

Xemnas sighed. "As much as I sometimes regret it, you _are_ a part of this Organization, and this is the first time you've done something legitimately wrong. I think I will let it slide… this time. There will be other times when we can confront him. Obviously you are not fit for this sort of job. I will talk to Saïx about that."

I felt the relief wash through me- vivid, clear, and too real. "Thank you, Superior, thank you so mu…" I was cut off suddenly when another sensation, this one stronger than all the rest, arced through my chest, touching my lungs and bouncing against my ribs. It was weird… once it settled, I felt strange sort of… throbbing. Each pulse hurt. My face flushed suddenly, and I felt feverish again. I took deep breaths.

"Number IX, are you sick?" His voice was almost concerned.

"I must have breathed too much Underworld air," I forced out, knowing somehow that it was a lie. I knew what this pain really meant. It was still hard to breathe.

"I've never seen it do this," Xemnas muttered. I wrapped my arms around myself as the pain continued to throb, burning now through my chest, ripping past my lungs and stealing my breath still trying to settle anxiously. It squeezed all of a sudden, squeezed so hard, bending and pulling…

I felt like screaming, almost. I couldn't breathe. My temperature would just continue to rise until it got too hot for my body…

"What's the matter with you?" Xemnas asked, creeping from behind his desk to look at me. He seized my shoulders as the pain convulsed through me. I whimpered.

"I don't know," I admitted almost in a sob. "Help me…"

Xemnas looked a little perplexed. He laid a hand on my forehead. The skin was cool.

He gasped. "It can't be…" I felt fingers move to the side of my throat. Tears welled in my eyes, everything blurring and shimmering at the edges from my sickness. "I refuse to believe it…"

I looked at him. "…What?" I choked out. The fever reached its peak then, and the last thing I saw before I blacked out was Xemnas's face, disbelieving and angry.

* * *

For readers of the original, welcome back! For my new readers, how the -dolphin noise- are you?

I wrote this chapter a couple of months ago, actually, just didn't want to post it until the original was done. You can check that out if you want. It's okay, I guess, but I'm not forcing anyone.  
Just a note, to the readers of the first- this story is going to be much shorter. I found so much filler material I was able to just cut out. However, in terms of a sequel, this will make more sense.

I don't really know what else to say, other than thank you for reading, liking it (maybe even not liking it). All I can ask of you guys is to please leave a review, even a flame if you feel it's necessary.  
Oh yeah! And in terms of an update, unlike the biweekly schedule of the original, I think I'll just post a chapter once a week, taking reviews into consideration, of course. However, if I get writer's block, it might be two or even three weeks between updates.

So yeah, thanks for reading and whatnot. I assure you I don't always sound like an idiot in my ANs. (Well, usually.)


	2. Traitorous

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I don't even own Demyx's human name. **

Chapter Two  
Traitorous

I woke up slowly.

I didn't hurt so much now, just a little headache and an unforgettable pain in my chest- I didn't feel too warm anymore. I stretched and opened my eyes slowly, feeling comfortable. _My_ bed was never this cozy…

"Look who's up? It's about freaking time," came a voice from next to me.

I looked up. There was a strange, almost pressured feeling to my body, which made my head heavy. "H-hey. What's going on?" I tried to look around, but my vision swam. My voice cracked.

"You've been out almost two days," he said offhandedly. "What did you do to yourself? You came back from a mission and you nearly died in the Superior's office. Did he smack you a bit too hard or something?"

"Two days?" I asked slowly, struggling to keep up with him- he was talking fast and my head hurt a lot more now. I half sat up. "No, he didn't hit me… he actually let it slide. I must have breathed too much Underworld air or something…" It just proved that this wasn't a dream… that the pain in my chest was absolute, not dreamed up. "Have you been here the entire time, Axel?"

"Just a few minutes," the pyro stated, leaning back in his chair. "You scared Xemnas to death, for some reason. He didn't say a word about it that I know of."

"Oh… I think that's really it, though. That place can make you sick if you stay too long. Some curse. I forget exactly."

Axel shook his head. "'The Underworld curse. Affects all who aren't dead aside from Hades. Seek a deal of alliance with the God, go to Olympus and take the Olympus stone, and most importantly, confront Roxas. If the subject fails to respond, use aggression to liberate his true disposition.'" Axel flipped through a set of index cards on the table beside the bed. "Lot of stuff he expected you to accomplish, no? And you failed."

I smiled sarcastically. "Gee, that just makes me feel great!"

He rolled his eyes. "What do you care? At least he let you off easily. Can't say the same for right now. He wants to know what the hell is going on with you. As if you didn't know already."

"…What do you mean?" I stared at him, the spikes in his hair all blurring together as I struggled to focus.

Axel looked at me, clearly frustrated. "I don't know, what do I mean? Don't tell me you haven't noticed. Even if you haven't, don't tell me something didn't feel wrong. You even _smell_ different now. There's not enough darkness."

"What are you trying to say?" I asked, though I could tell what his implication was. He knew all about what I was trying to ignore, trying to deny even though it was right there in plain daylight.

Axel stood up. I could feel his false rage emanating from him in waves. "Demyx, come with me. The Superior wants to see you."

"Wha…? Why?"

"Just do it. I'm not in the mood to argue with you right now," he snapped.

I tried to ignore the fact that I hadn't even picked a fight with him. Axel was in a bad mood, and I somehow knew that I had to deal with it. But how? I'd never done anything to him. In fact, usually we were pretty friendly.

Slowly, I stood too.

I followed Axel through the familiar corridors. Neither of us said another word, and though I tried to start a conversation, most of the time the words pattered out. Why was he giving me the cold shoulder? Why had he snapped at me before, when I hadn't given him a reason?

Why did the Superior want to speak to me, anyway?

Only when we passed the Grey Area did I notice something was up, and not just with Axel, but with everyone, and for some reason, I was the cause.

Deep down, I did know why. I just tried not to think about it, tried to avoid it while I still could.

A large hand seized me by the shoulder and grasped my neck. I sputtered wordlessly and tried to see my captor. I heard Axel summon a chakram and flung it at whoever had me. I fell to the ground and gasped for breath. Axel stepped in front of me.

"So now you're protecting the traitor?" came a voice I recognized as Xaldin's. "Isn't that… I don't know, hypocrisy?"

"My orders were to take him to Xemnas," Axel answered in a steely tone. "Alive. What the Superior decides to do with him then is his choice, not yours."

"But aren't you as angry as I am on this matter?" Xaldin asked in his manipulating tone.

Axel ignored him and yanked me to a stand. "Don't just stand there and gape, walk."

I blinked several times but obeyed.

The way he treated me- I felt like a prisoner. "What did I do?" I began weakly. "Suddenly everyone's pissed off at me. If Xemnas let my failure slide, how come everyone else won't?"

Axel grasped my arm, squeezing hard. "Don't even _pretend_ to be oblivious," he snarled. I'd seen him this angry, but it was never directed at me. "I know you know what I'm talking about. I don't believe your act at all."

"I'm not acting," I heard myself say, and tensed, expecting him to hit me with something.

If it was even possible, Axel let go of my arm violently. The blood rush was painful- I felt another jolt. My blood couldn't be thin enough to run that quickly.

We arrived at Xemnas's office. I looked at Axel, trying to decipher his expression, but it was carefully collected. He knocked twice and the door swished open.

"I have brought Nine, like you requested," he said.

Xemnas was sitting behind his desk, looking calm. His hands were tightly clasped and, oddly enough, the fingers were twitching. "Thank you, Eight."

Axel nodded once, prodded a skinny finger in the center of my back, and retreated to the back of the room, where he leaned against a wall. No- actually, he was leaning against the door.

It was as if he was blocking my only means of escape.

My eyebrows furrowed. I swear I felt a jump in my veins. "What…?" but I couldn't finish my sentence.

Xemnas leaned over his desk, radiating his authority. "Do you know why I have called you here?"

"Isn't it about that mission?" I asked, hand fluttering to my throat. "I thought you let that go…"

His look was suddenly full of malice. "You can drop your pitiful act," he snapped. "You must be smarter than you are strong- not even Vexen was able to find a logical way to approach the problem."

"I'm not acting," I mumbled for the second time, trying to look away from his sharp orange glare.

"Don't tell me you don't know," I heard Axel mutter. "You mean you haven't _noticed_? You ran a fever for two days and that's an impossibility for a Nobody."

I'd been denying it these past couple hours, and I was running out of ways to run away. But why was I running from something I had thought I wanted so badly?

Xemnas shook his head, and I swear his eye twitched. "You've gotten your heart back, Nine."

I sighed and tried to ignore the insistent pounding coming from my chest.

"What I don't understand is… why wouldn't you tell us you had this sort of information?"

"I don't know how it happened," I whispered.

He slammed his fists on the desk now, and I jumped. "You're a traitor," he hissed, his voice low. "And you are aware of what we do to those who betray us."

I closed my eyes, trying to get myself to believe that this wasn't happening. "I'm sorry," I almost sobbed.

"You do understand that the punishment for betrayal is death." Xemnas's voice was low, even.

I nodded once, weakly, feeling myself go pale. I didn't want to die. Not so soon after getting what I thought I wanted. I looked at Axel, for some reason wanting to gauge his thoughts, because we were kind of friends. Would he care if I died? Would he just shrug?

Yet, Axel wasn't leaning against the door like he'd first been. No, instead he was now standing in front of me almost defensively.

"Axel, what are you doing?" This was so unlike him that I couldn't help but ask the question in a shocked sort of whisper.

Xemnas seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Eight, what on earth are you doing?"

Axel said nothing, but he glared at Xemnas.

"Why are you helping me?" I murmured. "I thought… I thought I was a traitor to you."

Green eyes clashed with orange as both of them ignored what I said. I was almost completely forgotten now- it was him versus Xemnas.

"Eight, if you do not step away, you will also be considered a deserter," Xemnas threatened.

Even though I'd been here for years, I'd never exactly know the extent of the rules. Well… to put it better, I didn't really know just how loyal we were expected to be, and how much we were trusted. This was serious. This was real.

Axel was powerful, but not nearly powerful enough to hold him off for long. Me, I was practically a lost cause.

"Just do it, Axel. You don't like me all that much anyway," I mumbled.

Finally, Axel turned his eyes from Xemnas to mine. "You want me to let him kill you?"

"I don't want you to die," I stated.

Our former Superior seized hold of the distraction and dove at me. The next thing I knew, Axel had been flung into a bookshelf and I was pressed against a wall.

Knowing this was the end, I laughed a little. "What, no formal execution?"

His ethereal blades came closer to my neck. "Tell me what you know," Xemnas hissed. "You're obviously more intelligent than I estimated."

"What about Kingdom Hearts?" I asked slowly.

His grip on my shoulder tightened. "Say it," he snarled. "_Now_."

"I don't know," I told him honestly.

"What are you doing, asshole?" Axel whispered from across the room. "Fight!"

Xemnas backhanded me and I half stumbled, half ran across the room. Rubbing my jaw, we circled each other for a minute as Axel watched, shaking his head for some reason.

Why didn't I summon a weapon? Why didn't I use water? Why didn't I do _anything_?

Finally, the Superior dove at me again.

Two things happened very quickly.

First, I heard the sound of metal clashing against the ethereal blades. I tried to unfreeze myself, to at least look at what was going on, but I'd thrown my arms over my face.

Second, a dark corridor opened. I stared at it a moment, everything happening too quickly for me to comprehend.

"Go!" Axel screamed at me. "What are you doing? Go, Demyx!"

And so I ran.

* * *

I collapsed onto the ground, breathing hard and receiving a mouthful of dirt.

I sighed. I was safe, at least for five seconds.

Because I had a heart now, would I be easier to track? Then why hadn't they just found me and captured me again?

Too much was just happening all at once. Yesterday (or was it two days ago?) had just been another day, and now, here I was, exiled from the Organization.

Not to mention, I was human.

That was even harder to grasp. You would think that the change would happen slowly, like the memories slowly coming back or feeling the beginnings of emotions. But no, it had gone from blank to overwhelming in three-point-five.

I'd faked emotions as a Nobody. Hadn't most of us? I'd forged them to the point of feeling their shadows. But that was nothing compared to what was going through my mind right now.

I was just so incredibly _confused_. I understood that I was human now. That wasn't the problem.

There was just so much to _remember_. Roxas had forgotten everything when he became a Nobody. Was I going through the opposite? I mean, all throughout those few years as a Nobody… I forgot everything. I even felt it the memories slipping from my grasp then. But why? Did that normally happen?

I remember the Nobody days pretty clearly. That was a problem. But remembering when I was first a human… that was another headache.

I knew I had to be young when I became a Nobody. Younger than eighteen at least, because everyone was so surprised at my age when I joined. But- yes, and this is the sad part- I couldn't remember my birthday.

I did know _something_, though.

My name.

It wasn't hard to recall the naming ceremony. Xemnas did it, and it happened to everyone who joined the Organization. While I was never very good with puzzles, or perhaps just words in general, I knew that there were only so many things you could do with the letters D, E, M, and Y.

My human name was Myde.

But would I call myself that? It felt like I was stealing from him (me?). I was _different_ from him. I'd still played the sitar, but I'd been… kinder. Maybe even smarter.

"Well, Dem-Dem?" I muttered to myself under my breath, using Larxene's joking nickname for me, "what now?"

It seemed like my whole life was an accident. I flinched at how angsty those words sounded when I wasn't even depressed, but it was true. I hadn't bathed myself in darkness to gain power to become a Nobody. I hadn't even asked to become human again.

But what _would_ I do now? I didn't remember the name of my home world, but even if I did, I didn't have any money.

What could I do here?

Axel had sent me to the Land of Dragons. I'd been there a bunch of times for recon. I guess I was here because it seemed unimportant to the Organization, despite the myths of the dragons who slept in the land- they didn't really care much for myths. But there _was_ power in this land. There had to be.

The place wasn't very populated, and it wasn't very big. I didn't have many options other than to just sit here and wait, maybe for Axel to come, maybe just to figure things out.

So I did.

I sat on the riverbank and traced my fingers in the water. Questions ran nonstop through my mind, but I didn't bother much to answer them.

At least I still had power over water. If they came to get me, at least I could try to put up a fight this time.

There was a rustling sound from somewhere behind me. I tensed. They were coming so soon?

But no, the voice I heard was unfamiliar. "Wak! What is he doing here?"

Was he talking about me? I looked around quickly- I guess he was.

There was another rustling and the sound of footsteps on dirt. I turned around slowly, only to have my heart skip a beat.

In front of me were Roxas and his cronies- a dog with a shield and a duck with a staff. I had found it weird that they would walk and talk, but now I was in awe.

Roxas held a Keyblade half pointed at me. "Aren't you with the Organization?" His voice was accusing.

I winced. The words stung and made everything seem more real than I thought. _Uh, yeah. Not anymore._ I hesitated, not knowing how to answer. "Are you?"

"Excuse me?" He looked confused.

"Aren't you Roxas?" I asked, feeling like an idiot.

"No, of course not," he said slowly, patience thinning. I wondered when he would jump and attack me. I'd avoided him once. Would I be lucky enough to do it again?

"I'll handle this," the duck said, running over and hitting me on the head with his staff. I barely felt it.

Non-Roxas sighed. He didn't stop the duck, but he didn't join 'Whaling on Demyx' either.

Clunk, clunk, clunk. I could almost hear the staff hitting my head. Was it really that hollow? Or was the duck just that weak?

"He'd not even defending himself," the dog exclaimed, almost in wonder.

Why would I? I didn't want to pick a fight with them and just make my life that much shorter. I had other things to worry about.

But still, his words dredged up one of my human memories. See, I was picked on a lot when I was a kid. I knew there had to be a reason, but that was just out of my grasp. One day, a bunch of kids had cornered me, with baseball bats and everything. The leader had said the same exact thing.

That reminded me of Xemnas's sudden hatred. Despite the fact that the memory didn't really hurt, I felt a tear slip free. _Crap_.

"Nobodies don't cry," Non-Roxas pointed out. I couldn't help but think of how much that sounded like a bad song title.

"Eh, it's just because my staff hurts," the duck said. I wondered if he knew how much of a douche he sounded.

"Maybe we should just leave him alone," the dog suggested.

Yes, please do that! I mentally begged. Go away from here!

"Are you crazy? He's faking it to trick us into leaving again!"

Actually… last time we fought, I ran away.

Non-Roxas hesitated between questioning me and joining his friend in ganging up on me. His choice surprised me. "Are you okay, um…?" He didn't know my name.

"Myde," I was surprised to hear myself say. The name slipped out on impulse. It felt weird to say it… but not in a particularly bad way.

I could almost see him anagramming the name. "Demyx?" Hey, he had it spot-on.

I shook my head. "No. My name is Myde."

"But then… that means you're…" He pointed at my chest, looking confused.

"Uh, yeah. I'm human." I sighed, feeling a little stressed. And then, without meaning to say it, I added, "and the Organization wants to kill me."

* * *

Dun-dun-dun! Here you go.  
I'm not all that pleased with this chapter. I mean, it's okay, but I couldn't do much with it.  
But I want to thank everyone who checked out that last chapter! I really appreciate you.  
Not much going on in terms of news. I got contacts, but they're a little weak. Still, it's cool running around without glasses.  
Oh, and does anyone know of a good book series? I really need something to read...

Thank you _**Ranyo Moonlight, The Moon's Berserk, NinjaSheik, Ravenr20, Sora Tayuya, **_anonymous reviewers _**Mystical**_**, _ArmyOfDuctTape_**, and Anna for reviewing last chapter. It's nice to see familiar faces here.  
Next update: February 17th


	3. Trust

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I do, however, own the storyline.**

Chapter Three  
Trust

The duck automatically burst into laughter. The sound was high-pitched and cruel.

I flinched. _Just throw salt in my wounds, why don't you?  
_  
"That's the funniest thing I've heard in weeks! You almost had me!" He managed between peals.

I glared at him.

Non-Roxas seemed to come out of shock second. "That's hard to believe," he muttered, shifting his Keyblade to his other shoulder.

"Oh, you better believe it," I muttered. I felt hurt that they shot me down so quickly, but what did I expect? From what I could tell so far, Non-Roxas was pretty biased. He _attacked_ me when he pretty much knew I wouldn't really harm him.

The dog shook his head. "Gawrsh," he murmured.

Non-Roxas's eyebrows furrowed together. "But why would they want to kill one of their own?" It seemed to be more of a musing than actual question meant for me.

"They're convinced I betrayed them," I tried to salvage. Well, it had been over thirty seconds into the conversation and he had yet to hit me. Would I actually be able to get out of this?

"Well, did you?" Non-Roxas asked me, crossing his arms. The duck nodded, waiting for the answer in rapt.

"Not on purpose, anyway," I said tentatively.

Non-Roxas nodded and relaxed, as if admitting even my unconscious betrayal automatically made me a friend of theirs. "Then why are they convinced you betrayed them?"

"They think I knew all along how to get my heart back. I didn't." Why was I telling them this? They didn't care.

"But… how did you?"

I laughed. "I don't know, really. If I did, I w…" but I cut myself off. I didn't think finishing the sentence with 'I would have told them' would make Non-Roxas happy.

Startling me, a green creature leaped from Non-Roxas's hood and onto his shoulder. It was neatly dressed, this… thing, in a top hat and black coat. It pulled what looked like a book from its pocket and flipped through the pages for a moment.

I jumped, but Non-Roxas didn't seem to think this was abnormal.

"This is new," the creature said. I realized he was a cricket. "The Nobodies have never turned on each other."

"But I'm not a Nobody anymore," I protested. "I'm human."

Ignoring me, the duck spoke up. "He could just be lying."

The dog held his chin in his hands. "I don't know… something's… off."

I almost facepalmed. I think it was more so the cloak that said 'don't trust me' versus the attitude I was supposedly pulling on them. They thought that everybody who dressed like the Organization was evil.

I guessed I should consider them evil, too, because they wanted to kill me.

The duck was still simmering. "He's a liar! Let's just go!"

Non-Roxas bit his lip. To trust or not to trust? I trust you'll decide.

Stupid Cheshire cat. He annoyed me on every single mission to Wonderland.

"I think he would have either attacked or fled by now," Non-Roxas told them.

"I have a name, you know," I said, tired of being referred to as 'he.'

They ignored me again, the four of them huddling together. I heard a lot of whispering, but I couldn't make out anything over the frantic pounding of my heart. I almost wished they could hear it, too, so they would believe me and leave me alone. Finally, the duck let out a noise that could only be called a quack, but it was angered and mildly frustrated. Non-Roxas turned to me.

"Alright… Myde, or whoever you are," he began, "what's your story?"

* * *

So I told them everything.

What real choice did I have? What was the worst that it could come to? They would deny my story was true?

But what did I think I could get out of it? Trying to convince a bloodthirsty Keyblade master to shut up and listen couldn't be that easy. And what would I expect them to do if they believe me? "Oh, that's nice, but we really gotta go," they'd say.

I couldn't remember much of everything. My head felt empty, but not in such a good way.

I told them what I knew- about the Organization, about darkness, and how I knew nothing about myself. When I finished, I looked at them almost hopefully.

"Huh," Non-Roxas thought out loud. "What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know," I told him honestly. "Maybe I'll try to go home… if only I remembered…"

Where had all my memories gone? During my time in the Organization, I'd felt my human memories bubble up sometimes… and then slip away. But now, when everything should be fresh again and crystal-clear because I'd already had time to adjust, I was only able to grasp vague places and names. Everything was blurred… had I needed glasses and hadn't known it? I looked up at him. "Why… why did you want to know?"

"It's just… I never expected something like this to happen." If it weren't for Non-Roxas's tone of voice, I would have thought he had revealed too much, but instead, his voice was wary. "You're really… human?"

"Yeah…" Did this mean he believed me? That was mind-blowing by itself. I'd actually about talked myself out of death. But would he have hurt me anyway, because he now knew I had a heart?

"I… can I check?" Non-Roxas asked, almost timidly.

"Uh… okay. I guess." I rolled up my shirtsleeve and offered my wrist to him. His hands were big and too warm, his fingers kind of rough as he found my vein. He held on for about ten seconds, almost not believing it.

"It's… it's true. You're not lying," he said slowly. "Guys, he has a pulse."

The duck scowled. "You're playing a trick. You're playing a trick _somehow_," he hissed, speaking directly to me for the second time.

"Do you want to try?" I asked, offering out my hand tentatively.

"I won't fall for your trick!" He declared, but his confidence wavered a bit when the dog waddled over and felt my pulse, too.

Finally, the duck came over, resting one gloved hand on my wrist. After a few seconds, he pulled it back as if I had shocked him, taking in a deep breath.

See? I thought. I'm not all bad.

"…I'm Sora," Non-Roxas said hesitantly.

"What are you doing?" The duck hissed, voice low enough that he thought only 'Sora' could hear. Still, Nobodies have heightened senses, and I guess I somehow kept mine. Either way, I heard him.

"He's harmless," Sora whispered back, equally as low. "What can he possibly do to us that he could have already?"

"I think Sora's right," the dog added. They were all huddled together, talking about me in low voices.

But what would become of this? They would just be leaving in a little while anyway.

Unless…

That possibility was so foreign and strange I pushed it right out of my head.

Startling all of us, a loud, demonic roar came from somewhere to my left.

"Hell!" Sora swore, running in the direction where the noise was coming from- the palace. He and his friends ran off without even saying so much as a goodbye.

"Oh, well." I murmured, shrugging. "What did I expect… really?"

Then, I felt a strange urge to follow them. I wasn't sure why, but I felt like I kind of had to. If it were a giant Heartless, would they need help with it? (Uh, he was the _Keyblade master_. Doesn't that entitle pretty great power?) Was I maybe just lonely, or curious, or whatever?

It didn't matter. Either way, I was following them.

The road to the palace- that was where they had headed, I could see their footprints- didn't have any Heartless along it (that was not good. I had a heart now… shouldn't they be attracted to me?). Not a good sign- they had to have all gathered around the big one, if I was right. It was weird, how quick I changed into 'recon/stalker' mode. I felt like a bloodhound, sniffing out their trail.

Sora and co. were not on the path- they must have found the Heartless already. I picked up the pace, reaching the Palace Square in record time.

A man dressed in red and gray was trying to hold the Heartless off. A woman accompanied him, and they were both failing miserably.

I was only milliseconds behind them. Sora had barely enough to shout "Mulan!" –something which I thought was total gibberish at first, but when the woman nodded to him, I guessed that was her name- and brandish his Keyblade before the monster struck the two people, causing a cut to form along the woman's arm and the man to collapse. She hiked him up.

"Get out of here! We can handle this!" Sora screamed at her.

She nodded, and they limped out of here.

The monster Heartless that stood in front of us was the Dark Follower. I'd fought its weaker cousin, the Darkside, before. Everyone in the Organization did at some point- hell; it was practically a rite of passage. But while the Darkside was composed of many Shadows joined together, the Dark Follower was made up of Novashadows- strong brute Heartless that I always had trouble fighting on my own. The Novashadows swarmed around the greater body, the whole display pulsing black and dark violet with darkness.

And then came the smell.

I don't know how Sora didn't notice it, but it hit me like a sledgehammer- burning hair and death. That was the scent of darkness, all right.

I felt nauseous, but ignored it and ran towards them.

They would need help with this battle.

I'd help them.

But why? I'd never, ever been enthused about fighting. I'd always hated it, hated violence. Yet… I had this weird instinct to join up with them.

"I'll help you," I shouted at Sora, barely dodging a clever slash- God, why was this Heartless so fast? The Darkside had been so slow…

The three of them stared at me like I'd given birth to a litter of flying kittens.

In their shock, the Dark Follower swept the duck and dog away. They hit a wall, hard, and fell to the ground, unconscious.

Well, crap. Now we were down two fighters.

Sora stared at me with wide eyes. "Why are you helping me?" He mouthed.

The Dark Follower poised, and I was barely able to push Sora out of the way before it attacked.

"I'll explain later," I yelled. I hoped that, maybe by then, I'd have a reason.

I was not facing that monster alone, but I did know one thing I could do to help- defeat the Novashadows that were bothering him. I could handle them. Couldn't I?

I dove into the mob, trying to be fearless, but I was terrified. I tried to keep a method at first- use water on most but defeat some the old-fashioned way. Weirdly enough, some Heartless drop health-restoring beads when you killed them. Maybe that was their life force? Either way, I needed those beads.

But they just kept coming. I'd defeat one, and three more appeared in its place.

It was then I realized- The Dark Follower wasn't _made_ of Novashadows; it was _generating_ them. The Dark Follower was literally just a huge wad of darkness.

I ran through the mob, trying not to feel their claws as they scraped at my arms. I had to get over my cowardliness, and fast, or else things would just get a whole lot harder. It was time to do something brave for once.

Sora was half-standing, half-laying on the ground, his Keyblade stabbed into the heavy granite surface. I concentrated my energy, healing him from a distance. He stood up and looked at me, surprised.

However, his look of surprise turned into a look of terror. Suddenly, I realized that the Novashadows were gone- and I looked up.

I felt my heart stop for a moment.

The Dark Follower had grown in size, taking all its outer bodies to form one massive one, but at a price- its overwhelming speed.

There was plenty of time for Sora to dodge the hit, but he didn't, and the Dark Follower's claw scratched his face. I rushed over, trying to get him to move. "Sora! Come on!"

But he was oddly frozen in place, one hand resting on his cheek, staring up at this… thing.

I could see the memories reflected in his eyes… something about this monster brought back pain from when he was younger.

I would be fighting this Heartless alone.

I dove for it, hoping and praying that somehow, my power would grow, that I wasn't just a weak, pathetic sort of half-human who was meddling in someone else's business.

Something weird happened, then.

I felt this dizzying rush, and a cool feeling washed over me. Suddenly, I felt confident… collected, calm, _powerful_. I let the energy keep going, hoping it would stay forever.

I hacked at the monster's shins- that was about all I could reach. Sora eventually joined in, too, regaining his momentum.

Between the two of us, the Dark Follower was a minute's work. Once the Heartless was well and truly gone, we both let out weapons fade and collapsed into exhausted heaps on the ground, both of us breathing hard.

"Why… why'd you do it?" Sora asked, once his breathing had leveled out some.

"I… I don't know," I managed. "It felt… like something I had to do."

"You saved my life," he said.

"I didn't," I insisted. "Not really." The exhilarating feeling was gone- replacing it was an incredible soreness. My muscles all felt tight, stiff… I was so tired. It had been a long day.

I was kind of dizzy, too. Before I could add anything else, I fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.

* * *

-Makes farting noises with her tongue- Another chapter down. Like I said last time, there WILL be changes to this story. They'll start happening around chapter five. The exposition kinda has to happen the way it did last time... so stick with me. Arigatou.  
Anyway, like I said last time... no real news. Life has been kind of blah, but not in a bad way. Oh yes! I still have a major writer's block when it comes to this story. I'm on chapter sixteen... and then my brain just turns to white noise. So I'll finish it soon? More updates next week.  
On a completely different subject, I have a YouTube account. And the only reason I'm telling you guys is because I want you to check out a video Anna and I made. We're not actively in it, but those _are_ our voices. I play Demyx. Probably won't be what you expected, right? XD  
So here the link is, copy and past into the browser without spaces- www. youtube. com /watch?v= NSyY-NEfrBE I really hope this link works... We made this one in particular almost a year ago, I find the new ones quite better. There's Axel and Roxas and Sora in them.

Thank you _**NinjaSheik, The Moon's Berserk, TheEspadaSisters, Zemby, ravenr20, **_anonymous reviewer _**Mystical**_, and Anna.  
Next Update: February 24th


	4. Deal

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

Chapter Four  
Deal

I woke up about an hour later, every muscle tight and sore, still exhausted.

No surprise, I was still in the Imperial Square. I had to weigh nearly twice as much as Sora- did you know how skinny he was? How would they have brought me anywhere, if they cared that much?

What came as a shock was that, a couple of feet away, Sora sat near the duck and the dog, holding his knees and staring up at the sky reflectively.

Why did he wait for me? I mean, yeah, I did kind of owe him an explanation (which I didn't have). But why didn't they just leave while they'd had the chance?

I scooted over to where he was sitting. "What are you thinking about?"

Sora jumped a little, snapping out of his reverie. "Oh… I didn't know you were up."

I shrugged and gestured to the duck and dog. "Are they okay?"

"They'll be fine. I healed them, though, just to be sure. You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm just not used to that level of intensity." It was true. I never really fought that hard on missions, usually choosing to just run away whenever the going got tough. It was probably also true that if I'd had less of a stressful day and no heart to adjust to that I wouldn't have passed out. "But what were you thinking about, anyway?"

"Mostly just spacing out, but… hey, this is kind of something I can ask you. The Organization is really called Organization XIII, right?"

"Yeah." I wondered where he was going with this. "There were thirteen members."

"That's what I thought… so, if you were thirteen of you guys, what happened to the other six?"

He was right… when Roxas disappeared, there were only seven of us left after the whole Castle Oblivion thing. "Wait… you've met them, haven't you?" He had to have. He went to Castle Oblivion, where Marluxia, Larxene, Vexen, Lexeaus, Zexion, and Axel were.

But it had been a year since then…

What had he been doing this past year, anyway?

Sora shook his head, blinking. "No. I'm sure it's only the six of you… we encountered you guys, in Hollow Bastion."

He was right. I remembered that. That had been my first trip to that world; so insignificant I'd forgotten it. "Well… they kind of… were killed."

"Oh." I could tell he was trying to look sad for me but what he really felt was relief and jubilation. He only had to kill five more of us (I was pretty convinced he'd leave me alone at this point).

"Are… are you sure you don't remember them?"

"Of course I am. Where would I have met these people?"

"Sora… just a quick question." The last time I had heard his name come up in meetings was a year ago. I wrung my hands in my lap. "What have you been doing this past year?"

"I… I was asleep."

"For a whole year?"

"Yeah…" a bit of wariness came into his voice. "How did you know that?"

I could spill the truth and I couldn't. What would I do? Considering I wasn't on his side or theirs anymore, neither answer was wrong. "Well…" I sighed, feeling nervous. "The Organization kept tabs on you," I admitted.

"Of course they did. Why wouldn't they? We're enemies. I'm the Keyblade master. I knew that already. How else would they have found us that one time?"

It was funny how he used the word 'they' instead of 'you.' I wondered if it was really significant.

"No… these tabs… they had plans for you. For the Keyblade." I shook my head.

"Like?" Sora suddenly looked at me, interested.

"Kingdom Hearts can only be created once enough hearts are collected," I recited, unable to meet his eyes. "Hearts can only be collected from Heartless with a Keyblade. They… your Nobody, Roxas…" Quickly I realized I'd said too much when his expression changed.

"I don't have a Nobody," Sora said slowly.

Even if I hadn't been told of Roxas's Somebody (how, I wasn't sure… I just seemed to know), I could have used the fact that Xemnas named all of us by putting an X in our human names. I wasn't an idiot. Without X, you got R, O, A, and S out of Roxas. Arrange the letters and you get Sora. I didn't think that was a very common name. "Yes, you do. His name is Roxas."

Sora breathed in deeply. "What was your Nobody's name?"

"Demyx."

"And your name now?"

"Myde. Add an X, and you get Demyx," I repeated.

"You're… you're right," he said. "One of the Organization… he called me Roxas. And so did you, at first."

I nodded.

"So… what happened to him?"

"He ran away," I murmured. "And then he just… disappeared. No one would ever tell me what happened."

Sora shook his head.

"I'm sorry I had to tell you."

"No, I'm glad you did. It's just a bit… strange. I wasn't ever a Heartless…"

"Are you sure?"

"Ye… no. I did have a Heartless…" he strained to think. "For five minutes? About that long."

Was that why Roxas hadn't remembered anything?

Sora smiled at me. "Thanks for telling the truth."

"No problem." I looked down, squeezing one wrist. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to wait until they wake up. And then I'm going to make camp."

"Can I wait with you? I don't have much else to do."

"Sure."

It was so weird. Only a few days before he had tried to kill me, and now we were sitting here, nearly friends. Then again, I'd gone through a whole species change.

Species…

Even though it had only been a few hours, it felt like a million years since I found out I was human. I felt used to it already. My heart kept time perfectly. The emotions weren't rusty at all, but they did feel kind of raw- too new.

I put a hand on my chest, feeling the beat for myself. And they said it was impossible.

It was funny… we'd been so certain Kingdom Hearts was the answer. We couldn't have been more wrong.

Wait… what?  
How had I gotten my heart back?

It came back to me now. Like I was watching a movie, I was walked through the whole process.

When a dark corridor is created, there's a rift in the time span. The whole time we're walking through this corridor, time just stops for the slightest second. A human wouldn't notice it, not unless they went through the corridor themselves.

The corridors all lead into the Realm of Darkness, which then provide shortcuts for Nobodies to get to the place they wish.

All Heartless come from the world of Darkness.

Now, thinking on it, I wondered why they never considered it. Maybe because humans gave off pureblood Heartless, and purebloods didn't have hearts in them?

After I ran from my first battle with Sora into the Realm of Darkness, naturally the Shadows stalked me, but they usually do that. They're attracted to all higher Nobodies, because of our power.

But then… one of them had detached itself from the crowd.

I hadn't been scared of it… well, I couldn't be scared of it, but you get my point. While they do get rowdy, normally the Heartless here (this only happened in the Realm of Darkness- anywhere else I'd get positively mobbed) stayed at least a foot away at all times, as if there were a bubble around me.

This one dove right through, hitting me in the shoulders and hanging on tight. Then, it just vanished after it managed to successfully tackle me.

Only a second later had I felt it.

Getting your heart backs hurts like hell, but I guess that's punishment for losing it in the first place. It's kind of like a heart attack and a fire inside your chest. Oh, did I mention you couldn't breathe?

At least it didn't last long- only a minute or so, but it had left me feeling drained, and I'd stumbled through the portal… and promptly passed out.

"_Oh_, I get it," I whispered.

"Get what?" Sora asked.

"How I got my heart. My Heartless… it found me. All I had to do was reunite with it."

"Do you think it'll happen to the others?" Sora asked.

"It… might. But we kill Heartless. I just got mine out of luck."

Sora paused, then said, "Do you… do you think they'll still be evil as humans?"

What he was asking me was kind of obvious- is there a way to justify killing them if they're human?

Sora thought that because we had lost our hearts, that meant we were wholly and truly being of the darkness, without consciences or any smidge of light. But for the most part, thinking on it, he was wrong. Me, I was pretty bad at being a villain. Roxas was probably the best one out of all of us. Then there were people like Luxord, Vexen, Zexion, and Axel, who could be good if they tried. But the rest, the rest were debatable.

"Why… why do you hate the Organization so much?" I asked. I realized how stupid that sounded when I said it, but I wanted to know.

Sora opened his mouth to say something, probably along the lines of "because…" but then he furrowed his eyebrows. "They're terrorizing the worlds," he said finally.

"I guess… that's true." It depended on how you looked at it… and I was probably missing something. Were they evil? Having been part of them, I didn't really know. But I was just kind of _there_… I had never truly been part of the Organization.

"It's also kind of… something to focus on. I've been looking for some friends of mine… and I just don't know what to do. Maybe fighting all of Organization will give me some answers." Sora looked startled, as if he hadn't meant to reveal that much.

"I guess we're the same, in that way. What am I going to do now?" I looked up at the sky, which was growing darker. "I've got a heart, but no place to really be."

Sora stared at me. "Do you want to join us?"

I gaped at him, shocked. "Why? You barely know me. A few days ago we were _enemies_."

"You said you had nowhere to go, and you helped me fight that Heartless, which you wouldn't do if your allegiance hadn't changed." Sora had a hint of a smile on his face. "What do you say?"

"But what will they think?" I gestured to the barely-stirring duck and dog. "They don't like me much."

"Goofy will go with whatever I think. It might take some time, but eventually Donald will trust you too." I guessed those were the names, and it wasn't hard to know who was who. The dog was gentler- he was probably Goofy. The duck had been more openly cruel- Donald, all right.

"But still… why did you tell me those things?" I asked, purposely avoiding his other question.

"I… I don't know. You asked why I hated them. I told you." He shook his head. "I know this is weird… but I feel like I kind of know you."

Roxas and I had been friends, sort of. Was he remembering through Sora? Probably not. Out of our trio- Roxas, Axel, and me- I was the one no one really wanted there. I had just been with them to have someone to pal around with. "That is kinda weird."

"But… what do you think? Do you want to go with us?"

I thought very quickly. I had nowhere else to go. Obviously he trusted me a little if he wanted me to go with him and his friends. He believed I was human. Could there be any part of him that still thought I was on _their_ side? Was this a trap? I looked for a lie in his eyes- he was telling the truth.

As a Nobody, it's much easier to tell when a human is lying. It's hard to explain exactly- it's not what you would call a 'feeling' considering Nobodies didn't have any. The human's eyes don't have to change or their heart doesn't have to stutter. It's just an instinct, like our sensitivity to the smell of darkness or our heightened senses, both of which I'd kept when I'd become human again.

So this was really happening. Sora trusted me. But why did he want me? Didn't he get weird allies all the time?

Still, I couldn't really turn down this offer. I could help him in whatever way… and then I could find where I used to be, or where I belong.

Finally, I smiled. "Okay. I'll go with you guys."

* * *

-Plays an electric guitar- BWAH NUH NUH NUH.  
This chapter is BORING. Its only function is a plot device. -sighs- So hey! How has everyone's week been? Mine has postively flown. Not to mention, we had a particularly average day in biology. It was amazing.  
I promise, promise, promise that changes will start to happen in the next chapter. So bear with me, guys.  
Oh yeah, are there any other MLIAers here? Or is it just whistful thinking of me? And if you haven't been on that sight, go. Now.

Thank you _**NinjaSheik, vildtiger, The Moon's Berserk, Ravenr20, **_anonymous reviewer _**Mystical**_, and Anna.  
Oh, silly me. I was about to put February 31 as the next update day XD.  
Next update: March 3


	5. Misinterpretation

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

Chapter Five  
Misinterpretation

Donald and Goofy- the duck and dog respectively- were fully awake by the end of that conversation. We made camp and settled down by the river where they'd first found me.

Sora was right in his assumption- Goofy accepted me immediately, but Donald was warier. Partly, I couldn't blame him. I _had_ been a member of the Organization, their enemy (however unjustified that might be). But it wasn't like I would hurt him, or any of them. They had taken me on- and I was grateful.

Nobody really talked much after Sora told them, so we basically just went to sleep. It had been a long day.

Waking up the next morning was difficult. First of all, I was sore all over, and the experience wasn't bettered when Sora shook me awake at half past dark.

Well… that was exaggerating. It was actually about six a.m.

"We… we need to get going," Sora murmured, trying not to sound impatient.

"Sorry," I told him, shaking my head and trying to keep my eyes open. "Where to?"

"I need to check in with some friends and get some more supplies. Are you hungry?"

"Not really…" What did that have to do with anything? Oh… breakfast… right. I really wasn't hungry, though the last time I had eaten had to have been several days ago.

"Okay. Then let's go."

Apparently, they too traveled using a gummi ship, considering that was the most efficient way of getting around to the worlds when you were a human. I knew what they were, or course- Vexen and Zexion had studied them for a bit when the technology was first found- but I'd never been in one.

I did know, for a fact, that I had motion sickness. But because of the fact that there weren't enough chairs for all of us, I ended up sitting on the floor, so I couldn't look out the window and trigger that horrible feeling. All I had to do was keep myself from looking up, and I'd be fine.

The ride wasn't long- maybe forty-five minutes. When Goofy told me we were landing, actually waking me up from a sort of catnap, I chanced a look outside.

I'd never seen a world before. For some reason, I'd always thought the world- any world- was flat, despite what Vexen had kept telling me. I guess some of them where, or else no one would have said that. But I found myself proved wrong.

Hollow Bastion was round, and most of it was nondescript, just a mostly purple-looking ball with some clouds on it. Only one thing stood out, barely peeking from the clouds- the top of a castle turret. That had to be where the world's leader lived.

Only when we actually stepped onto the world did I realize something was familiar. I remembered the name Hollow Bastion, but it hadn't really meant anything before. But now…

The first sign was the cobblestones. They were everywhere. They covered the roads, the walls, and even some houses. Everything that wasn't cobblestone was some sort of stone.

I knew this place.

I had just been here. I had woken up here. I almost laughed, for some reason. Well, that was unexpected.

So this place was called Hollow Bastion. It felt unfamiliar somehow, yet slightly nostalgic. Hadn't I at least been here on recon?

I followed them through Market Square, wondering when the stares would start. I really should have ditched this cloak, but it was a bit too late now.

It felt weird, following them around. We didn't do much, and they didn't really talk all that much with each other. Sora and his friends seemed to have this automatic plan of what they wanted to do, and they knew each other so well that they didn't even have to discuss it.

I felt kind of left out, and alone. But things could have turned out much worse. Sora could have killed me yesterday.

Heartless appeared almost at random. They startled me, but Sora seemed used to it. He whipped out his Keyblade, clearly meaning business.

I followed his lead and took out my weapon, too. I could handle these guys. Obviously, after yesterday I proved that I really wasn't all that weak. I played a chord, and a geyser speared a Heartless. Another chord. Three down this time.

It was a pretty easy battle. There were two more waves of Heartless after that, but they weren't very strong at all. The fight was over in a matter of minutes.

Or at least… I thought it was.

A Soldier Heartless, having avoided us, dove from its spot on the rooftop. I tried to shout something at Sora, but I was late by about a quarter of a second. It smacked into his head, knocking him over, not to mention out.

Donald swore and cast Thundara on it, killing it in one hit. The three of us crowded around the Keyblade master.

"Oh boy," the magician said.

"Will he be okay?" Goofy asked.

"He'll be fine," came the curt reply. Thing was, while Cure worked fine on wounds, but it didn't actually wake someone up. Sora would be out cold until he decided to come around on his own.

Great. So now Donald was leader.

"Well… what do we do?" Goofy asked.

"We should bring him to Merlin's," he said.

There was a beat of silence.

"Um…" Goofy murmured, and then went to grab Sora's leg.

That's right. He was bigger than them.

Heh, at least I could be of _some_ help.

"I'll get him," I told them.

I picked Sora up. His Keyblade slid out of his hand and disappeared, going into that weird void or wherever our weapons went to. His head rolled into my shoulder.

He was pretty light for someone his age, maybe about ninety pounds. His hair was uncomfortably pointy. It must be a Keyblader thing, because Roxas's hair had been that way too.

"Well?" I began, trying to break the tension. "Which way?"

They both hesitated.

"Er… follow me," Goofy said.

"Goofy! What are you doing?" Donald demanded in a whisper. "He could still be on _their_ side!"

"Sora trusts him," Goofy defended, equally as low. "So he can't be all bad."

I felt a sudden rush of affection for the knight.

"Uh, are we going?" I asked, trying to sound like I hadn't heard the whole thing.

"This way," Goofy said finally.

Merlin's house looked just like any other on the street- a door in a wall of stone. I wasn't sure who Merlin was, but he had to be one of their friends.

Okay. This would be easy, meeting people while simultaneously being on the good guy's side. I was friendly enough. They would like me.

My nervous hope was obliterated when Donald opened the door.

It was a fairly large room, warm in color. On one side, there was a large computer, its monitor filled with numbers. There was a table on a dais surrounded by books. A blackboard had some nonsense written on it in Latin. There was a stove at the very back, which looked like it was half for experiments, half for cooking- there was a tea kettle coming to boil.

I had about three seconds to look around before it began.

Well, I started to panic inside when I saw the girl I had encountered the first time I had come here. She had been calmly arranging a bouquet of flowers. She looked at Donald and Goofy first, then Sora in my arms, and finally, to me.

She opened her mouth to say something, but then I realized there was another person in the room- an older man, about my height, but much more muscular. He had blonde hair, which was partially shadowed by goggles. He took one look at me and looked confused for half a second before his features settled on a wide, I-got-you-now smirk.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" He asked.

Suddenly, a ball of smoke appeared at the corner of the room, and a girl stepped out of it. She was carrying what looked like an armful of potions and dropped them on the table, muttering about something. But she, too, stared at me, and I stared back.

I had this weird feeling, like I'd seen her before. Yet it wasn't the other girl, who'd accompanied that guy (I really wish I knew names, this was all so confusing, even in my own head), the one with the braid and pink dress.

This girl had short black hair with a black headband. She wore mostly black and gray, and heavy boots. She was the only one who gave what I thought was the proper reaction. "What the hell is going on?"

"Sora was knocked out by a Heartless," Goofy explained. "He'll be okay, but we don't know what to do with him until he wakes up."

The girl with the braid smiled. "That's okay. We can just lay him down on Merlin's bed. I'm sure he won't mind." She stared at me and the message was obvious- to cross the room and do what she said- but I felt frozen in place for a second. I knew that the second I put Sora down, I would lose my immunity, and the other girl and the man would pounce on me and probably maim me.

These guys knew of the Organization. I could just tell. They knew I used to be a part of it, but they didn't hear the past tense on the word.

I broke my hesitation and stepped inside, walking over to the bed and laying Sora down.

The blonde man glared and pointed to a spot on the floor near him. "Get over here."

I did, timidly. The black-haired girl had pulled out a very pointy-looking shuriken. I decided that if she had to kill me, I wanted her to do it quickly.

"Explain yourself," the man said slowly, a sneer crawling on his face. "How did you, a member of Organization XIII, managed to be around Sora when he was unconscious?"

I looked to Goofy desperately, silently begging him to back me up.

"Probably did it himself," the girl with the shuriken said, glaring.

I was vaguely tempted to run out of the room.

"What I want to know is how you four were together," said the girl with the braid. Her voice was soft, but it carried. "I don't understand the situation."

"He's trying to get on Sora's good side, obviously," the other girl stated. "But why did he trust him?"

It was official. I was a 'he,' an object to be watched carefully but not actually acknowledged. Somehow, that made things worse.

"Why haven't you gone back to the Organization yet?" The girl asked me now. "You probably have what you want. So go. We can stop you guys no matter what you know."

"I can't," I admitted, my voice feeling unusually loud.

"And why is that?" The man continued.

"Because I'm not a Nobody."

The words hung, heavy.

"Oh, sure." Both the girl and the guy said at the same time. They looked at each other, grimaced, and glanced back at me.

"It's true," I protested, and then looked to Goofy. "Right?"

Goofy nodded. "He's telling the truth."

The girl with the braid crossed the room, standing more closely to me than the other two. She stared at me, her green eyes boring like knives. Where did she learn to stare like that?

She nodded. "He's not lying."

"Aerith, are you… are you absolutely sure?" The man asked.

"Positive. I can hear his heart beating."

I nodded. "I'm not with them anymore."

But the other two didn't buy it. "Prove it," said the other girl.

I sighed. "I would… but I don't know how."

"Tell me all their secrets," she offered, keeping her voice wary.

"There's not many I learned," I countered. "I was the ninth member. The secrets don't carry very far."

"You're lying," the man accused.

"I am not lying." I wanted to sit down dramatically and bury my face in my hands, but I was getting very gradually pressed into the wall.

Finally, Donald, who had been amused with the whole spectacle, walked over. "Why don't you guys ask Merlin? He'll tell you the real truth."

"But he's on errands, and you know how long that'll take him." The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes. "It's not like he'll magically appear out of nowhere…" she paused, obviously waiting for him to do just that, but continued, disappointed. "Who knows how long it will be?"

Slightly off cue, but still deliberate, a weird white portal appeared. It seemed to be the exact opposite of a dark corridor. An elderly man, obviously a wizard because of his robes and hat, appeared.

"Merlin! You're late," said the girl with the black hair.

So he was Merlin? I didn't know what I expected, but oddly, he fit what I had in mind. Thin, older, pale, a wizard.

"I can't possibly answer every beck and call. Be glad that the merchant I was talking to was particularly annoying and cheap." He coughed. "I hate pan-dimensional travel, it's so bad for my arthritis."

"Just look who we managed to find," the blonde haired man said in a particularly smug voice.

Merlin glanced to me. "Hello, there," he greeted, almost friendly.

"'Hello, there'?" The other man raged. "We have a member of Organization XIII _in our base _and you say 'Hello, there'?"

"For the record," the girl addressed as Aerith said, "Donald and Goofy told me that Sora trusts him, and he's human."

"At least one of you sees reason," Merlin said. "That's ridiculous. I'm not sure what's going on, but this stranger is definitely human."

Aerith smiled, though it showed no sign of arrogance.

"But he's wearing a cloak," the other girl argued. "Their cloak! He's evil!"

Yes, we've achieved the fact that I'm wearing a cloak. I must be evil. What if I was cold, or had no other clothes? I wanted to say this out loud, but kept my mouth shut.

"Is he? I can't sense it," Merlin commented.

That seemed to render both the girl and the man silent.

"Just who are you, boy?" The wizard asked me.

"I'm… I'm Myde," I stammered.

"Would you care to tell us what exactly happened?" His voice was polite.

So I did. I told them about how I got my heart, how I got banished from the Organization, how Sora and I fought together (thankfully, Donald and Goofy backed me up), and what happened to him.

"Oh, that makes sense," Aerith said. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Aerith."

"I'm Yuffie," the girl with black hair told me. "Sorry about that."

I sighed, immensely relieved. "No, it's completely justified. I do look like the bad guy, after all."

"I'm Cid," the man with blonde hair introduced, "and I'll be watching you."

I nodded.

"Well," Aerith began, "sit down. You're welcome here now."

Despite Aerith's whole "we totally won't kill you now" claim, I could tell they felt uneasy around me. Well, what did I expect, really?

Sora was asleep now. I didn't have much to do. I was sitting on the dais with the table on it, bored out of my mind. Cid was on his computer, working in silence. Merlin had disappeared again, and Aerith was back to her flowers. They gave the room this weird smell similar to incense, and I started to feel dazed.

What would happen now? I guess things were going on a good path again. I was alive. Sora trusted me. His friends wouldn't kill me.

What should I do?

Going back to where I came from was an option, but there's the thing. I didn't _remember_ where I was from. Not the name, the place, or the people who were there.

I guess that meant I would have to find where I belonged. I hoped I was up for the job.

Those flowers were making me feel kind of tired, but it also could have been the day I was having. I hadn't eaten in a while, so that had probably contributed to it, but I didn't feel hungry. I'd have something later.

"Aerith?" I began.

"Yes? What is it?"

"What kind of flower is that?"

"You feel it, too?" She looked down at me. "I thought it was just me. I stayed up all night. Must be lavender or something." She took the pot. "I'll put it outside."

Yuffie reappeared. She'd left on a final errand for Merlin. What did that guy do all day? He certainly seemed busy. She sighed almost dramatically and sat up next to me.

I raised an eyebrow. There was plenty of space between us, but I felt like she was almost sitting too close.

"Hi," She said, flopping back in the cold stone.

"Hey."

"I can't believe all the work that Merlin made me do. And it's _my_ day for patrol. That just figures, you know?"

Aerith shrugged. "You seem to enjoy it."

Yuffie shrugged in response. She turned to me. "How's Sora?"

"Asleep."

"That's probably my fault," Aerith admitted. "I had this strange herb. I thought it was just a sort of fern hybrid, but it had these delusional effects."

"So, in other words, it made you guys feel high?" She was almost bouncing up and down.

"Um… I suppose?" Aerith looked over to Cid, who had just sworn loudly and smacked the computer.

"Damn thing's overheating!"

"Cool! Where is it?" Yuffie asked.

I stifled my laughter. Aerith's face was priceless.

"I'm just kidding, gees." She turned back to me. "That's right, I didn't tell you yet. I'm Yuffie."

"I know."

"…The Great Ninja."

"You're a ninja?" I stared at her. Aside from the headband, she looked the complete opposite. I was imagining a person in a black suit with slits for eyes. Yet, I understood that being inconspicuous was probably even better than wearing all black. I looked down at myself. I would get rid of this coat, but I was always just so cold…

Yet it made sense. The gray smoke teleportation, the shuriken. She was telling the truth.

"But why tell me? Aren't ninjas supposed to remain secret?"

She shrugged. "Traditionally, I guess. It sounds more intimidating, don't you think, if I call myself 'the Great Ninja' rather than just Yuffie."

"Hey, your title is more intimidating than mine," I said, shaking my head. "Every Organization member got their own title. I don't know why. It was kind of like our names."

"What was it?"

"'The Melodious Nocturne.'"

"Sounds sleepy."

"You're right. But I like it. It could have been much worse."

We talked like that for a while, about nothing much. Yuffie was really easy to talk to. It made me feel confident that I could at least maybe be friends with her and Aerith. Cid was another story, but at least he wouldn't hurt me.

Finally, like an internal alarm went off, Yuffie jerked a little, remembering something. "Right! I have to go on patrol!" She stood up and was halfway across the room before she remembered the rest of us. "Bye guys! See you later!"

"Patrol?" I asked Aerith, puzzled. She looked up, sleepily, from the crossword she'd been doing.

"Yeah… Heartless duty. She and Leon keep them under control."

"…Leon?" Why was that name so familiar?

"Yeah. You'll meet him in a few minutes." She cocked her head. "Oh… I remember now…"

"What? What is it?"

But before she could answer, the door banged open.

I had to blink a few times to process what was going on.

Oh.

I knew what she was talking about now.

* * *

Cliffy! Silly, overdramatic cliffy, but cliffy all the same.  
See, there _was_ a change in this chapter! However, it's minor, and we're _still_ in the exposition. Ugh! I actually cut about three or four chapter of just sheer filler. And yay for plot device! XD  
I have a weird cold right now. I feel fine, but my nose is filled to the brim and the skin's gotten so dry it doesn't hurt to blow anymore. -Sigh- Not to mention, I'm super tired. And doing the educational burn doesn't help at all.  
Looking back on it, personally I feel this chapter was a bit rushed. But it's up to you guys, I guess. Oh yeah! I plan to post this story on DeviantART under the title of the original, but for some reason it won't accept Microsoft Word documents. Anyone know why that is, and know how to help?

Thank you **_roxy mccartney, Ravenr20, TheChel_**, anonymous (should I just call you guys 'Anonnies'?) reviewers _**Mystical **_and _**I don't have an account**_. Also, Anna, get your computer fixed. I miss your very grammatically correct reviews. Not that you guys use incorrect grammar... but whatever. I feel very weird right about now.  
Next update: March 10


	6. Contamination

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

Chapter Six  
Contamination

Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no.

That was pretty much what was going through my head.

It was Leon- also known as the guy with the knife-thing.

I didn't know exactly what it was about him that made me scared. Well, he attacked me, but in all honesty, I fought back. I just had the suspicion that he would automatically hate me, despite the fact that the others had accepted me.

He looked pretty intimidating. He was tall, about my height, with brown hair that went down to his shoulders. He wore jeans with a lot of belts on them, and over his shoulder was slung that sword-ish weapon.

Yet, he was trying so hard to be badass that I found it funny, though I admit it was working.

I looked around for a quick exit or maybe a place to hide, but it was too late. I was too obvious. He'd seen me.

Yuffie quickly came running in after him. She glanced at me with almost a look of horror, like she'd suddenly remembered something she'd forgotten to do. Her hair was dripping wet- I realized it was raining outside.

Leon's blue eyes bored into mine. "Aerith," he began, almost calmly, "what's going on here?"

She tried to answer, but words didn't come. He walked straight over to me.

"L…Leon," Yuffie stuttered. "Leave him alone."

He turned around. "Are you serious, Yuffie? This is a member of _Organization XIII._"

"He isn't," she continued evenly.

"He _says_ he isn't."

"It's true," Sora's voice came from the corner. He was sitting up now. "My head's killing me… what happened?"

"A Heartless snuck up on you," Donald explained.

Leon was still looking at Sora. "What's going on here?"

"Well… I needed some help fighting a Heartless. He helped me. We're kind of friends now."

Leon turned back to me. "I let you go last time," he muttered. "Now…"

I closed my eyes and hoped it would be quick.

"Leon," Aerith tried to reason with him. "He's human."

"It's true," Yuffie supplied.

"I can't believe you guys!" Leon raged. "How can you believe his lies?"

"They aren't lies," Cid said. "Leon, Merlin said it himself. This kid is not an enemy."

"Why are you defending me?" I mouthed at him behind Leon's back.

Cid shrugged.

The gunblade wielder came and stood in front of me. "Explain yourself. You have thirty seconds."

I sighed and launched into the story. Leon paused every once in a while, looking to the others for validity. I told him how I became human, how I quit the Organization, and how I was with Sora now.

His look leveled out a bit. "I see it now," he said finally. "You _are_ human. I haven't seen anyone so genuinely terrified since I fought Sora."

"You fought Leon?" Goofy asked Sora, who nodded.

"When was this?" Aerith asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"When we first met in Traverse Town."

"Why would you fight him?" Goofy asked Leon.

"He had a Keyblade and didn't know how to use it. I offered to take it from him, but he refused. So I fought him."

"And lost," Yuffie trilled. "I was there. I saw."

"I did _not_ lose!" Leon argued. "He was the one who passed out!"

"_He_ is right here!" Sora intervened. "And I won!"

"You did not!"

"Did too!"

Their argument was cut off by the sound of Cid laughing hysterically. "You got beat by a kid!"

"Shut up, old man!"

I couldn't help it. I was laughing, too. The whole scene was just hilarious.

Merlin reappeared. Leon and Cid were yelling at each other now.

"Alright, you two, break it up," he said. "Ah, Sora, you're awake."

Sora nodded and stood up. "Is there anything I need to take care of?"

"Not that I can think of, no." He looked around the room for anyone who disagreed.

"Then we really should be going. Come on, guys. And thanks," he added.

"At least stay for dinner," Aerith said. "It's been a long day for all of you."

Sora looked to Donald and Goofy, then to me. I shrugged. He sighed. "Okay. But I really have to go right after."

* * *

Dinner with Sora's friends was a… unique experience.

First of all, despite the fact that I was a little hungry, I wasn't really comfortable taking their hospitality. I didn't really touch anything other than the tea until Yuffie said, "Eat something. No one's going to bite you, except maybe Leon. But we had him checked for rabies, so it's all good."

I laughed a little and took some rice.

But- honestly- nothing else really happened other than that. The food was good, but the weird thing was just how everyone interacted with one another.

We ate together in the Organization, but usually it was silent other than a few people arguing or me playing sitar. Here, everyone was so _friendly_. It seemed like they'd all known each other for years. I didn't know why it seemed to foreign to me. I still felt like I was intruding, so I didn't really say much of anything, except when Yuffie or Sora prompted me. Leon had quit glaring, and had instead started ignoring me. I couldn't say I really minded.

After about two hours, we finally left. I almost dreaded leaving, though. Despite the fact that I'd walked in an enemy, I'd left as nearly their friend, and that was a first. In the Organization, I'd always been the sort of outsider, being the youngest other than Zexion or Roxas, but unlike the other two, I didn't have the gift of brains or a Keyblade. I did have my sitar, but the others preferred silence. No one ever had patience for me, and I hadn't minded being the loner.

There was that one time- the maybe three week or so period- when I'd hung out with Roxas and Axel. It had probably been the best time I'd had as a Nobody. But then… they got tired of me. No, that wasn't it. Something else happened, right?

Why was I struggling to remember?

Then the name came to me, like a slap. _Xion_. She had this funny, dreamlike quality to her in my memories. When she'd finally started talking, she took my place in our trio. Yet it was hard to hate her… she was their puppet, wasn't she? A clone, a doll. But a clone of _whom_, now, I couldn't recall.

"…We should stay here for the night," Sora said, cutting into my thoughts. "It's too dark and I don't want to risk hitting a supply ship on the way out."

"Okay."

"Are you alright, Myde? You've been really distant since we left."

"Yeah. Just… thinking."

"Right," Sora said. "This is weird for you, huh? Trying to get used to having a heart and all, and you got kicked out of your home. It must be hard."

"Actually… that's not what I was thinking of."

"Oh." He sounded slightly apologetic.

"I'm glad I'm with you guys now," I concluded. "I'm not sure why yet. But the Organization isn't bothering me, and I'm human. So it's all good, right?" Why did I sound like I was convincing myself?

"Sure, sure." It was getting dark out, and all I could see of Sora was really a silhouette. He paused in the Market Square. "I almost forgot! I have to synthesize this thing… it'll only take me like a minute."

"Okay. Do you mind if I go wait by the ship? I'm kind of tired."

"Go ahead."

Donald looked at me warily for a moment, but didn't say anything in protest.

I wandered outside the light of town to the outskirts, where the city got softened into a little forest. I paused for a minute, leaning against the last part of the cool stonewall. Why was I so tired? Well, Aerith was right. It _had_ been a long day… but the first good one in a while. I felt confident that maybe I could become friends with them, eventually. Maybe even Leon.

There was a sound behind me, interrupting my thoughts. The sound of a dark corridor. I jumped and went to summon my sitar.

"Relax, Myde, it's only me." It was Axel's voice. I turned around slowly.

I could barely see his face in the semidarkness. The light from a house behind us barely cut through the night. I squinted.

"So… how's it going?" He asked, trying to be casual.

"I'm… I'm fine so far. You don't need to watch me. I can take care of myself."

"I know that," Axel said, his voice getting a little quieter. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm… I'm not a hundred percent sure I should tell you," I stammered. Axel was still with the Organization, after all. He could tell Xemnas where I was. But did Xemnas really care anymore?

"I saved your life. If you think I came here just to backstab you…"

"I'm not sure what you're here for, Axel. We never really were friends in the Organization."

He exhaled, aggravated. "Myde… Xemnas… he's not happy about this."

"I'd never know," I murmured, my voice almost too exhausted to carry the sarcasm.

"If you don't surrender… he'll hunt you down, you know that, right? Just tell him how you got your heart back and he'll let you continue whatever you're doing."

"Since when are you on his side?" I asked. "Besides, I don't even know…" I cut myself off, realizing I _did_ know how I got my heart back.

"I'm just looking out for you, okay?"

I'd never know what prompted me to say it, but I said, "Thanks, but it's not necessary. I'm not going back there, Axel."

"Do you want to get yourself killed?" His voice rose.

"No," I whispered. "Of… of course not."

"But do you know how…?"

"It's a one in a million chance, Axel." I didn't think it was possible for my voice to get even lower, but it did. Axel had to actually lean in to hear me.

"So you do know. And you kept something like this from us?" His voice rose a little more.

"I discovered it completely on accident." My voice was normal pitch now. I was surprised at how tired I sounded.

"…I'm guessing I'm right, then, in my assumption that you're not going to tell me."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Axel. I trust _you_… but I don't know…" I didn't really trust him, even though he had saved my life.

"You're just as selfish as everyone says you are," Axel hissed. "What good will keeping it to yourself do? I thought you were loyal to the Organization."

"I don't know what I am anymore!" The anger was surprising.

There was silence for a moment. Finally, Axel turned to me and said, "Well, if you're not coming back with me… then have fun getting yourself killed. Because he's merciless."

Axel disappeared into the darkness.

I sank to my knees. "Just when everything was going well…" I had the bizarre urge to cry, but strangled it off and stood up, and went to wait by the ship, like I'd said I would.

And with that one little conversation, the false sense of security I'd been harboring was shattered.

* * *

For some reason I woke up in the middle of the night. I didn't know why, but I wasn't thirsty and didn't need to go to the bathroom. I couldn't sleep. So I wandered around our little camp, picking my way along a path.

Though my half-asleep fog, I pondered what Axel said. It was nice of him to come and warn me… but why had he? Why had he even saved my life? We'd never really been friends.

More importantly, where had that weird instinct come from, the one that told me to stick with Sora and not tell Axel despite the fact that I didn't know _what_ I wanted to do?

Would Xemnas really hurt me?

The answer in my mind- a brilliant _yes_- was obvious, but why? Was it because I'd betrayed them? I would think that in my words and actions it would be clear that I hadn't meant to. After all, Nobodies were experts at body language.

But now I really had betrayed them, because I knew how to get what they wanted, and I'd held it from them on purpose. My thoughts were thrown back around the circle when I thought, once again, that I had kept it from Axel almost like I was keeping a secret. Like he was the bad guy.

Was he bad? I didn't know. Yet the others- Saïx, Xaldin, even Xemnas- would abuse their hearts as much as possible. While me… all along I only wanted it to feel my music. It's awful to play a hard solo right without being able to feel the emotion in the notes, so each had sounded gray, monotonous. You couldn't guess how frustrating it had been- if I could have felt frustration.

I realized that it was stupid for me to be walking around like this. I had been complaining to myself that I was tired all day. Why wasn't I asleep? I sighed and turned back.

Almost at the same time, a stick cracked behind me. All my muscles went stiff. I turned around slowly…

There was no one there, at least not visibly, but this didn't reassure me at all. It was probably something stupid, though, like a squirrel or a Heartless.

I heard another stick crack- this one from the direction I was heading, and the sound was more drawn out, more deliberate. As if the thing making the noise was doing it on purpose, to psyche me out.

I wasn't sleepy now in the least- all my senses were on high alert. What I could see in the darkness was sharp, every detail purple-blue like a bruise.

My breathing was edging slowly to hyperventilation. My heart was beating so hard. I wondered what had provoked this sort of reaction- really, I was probably just reading too far into things. It was a couple of Heartless. All I had to do was defeat them, and then I could go to bed.

There was another sound, this time footsteps- slow, cautious, giving me time to run.

I didn't. I had my suspicions.

This person was not Axel- he _would_ creep up on me just to freak me out, but he wouldn't milk it like this.

It had to be some other member of the Organization. That was my only conclusion. But who?

The figure crept still closer. I wanted to ask who it was, and yet I didn't.

It took about a second and a half to summon my sitar. Could I really attack him, whoever it was? Didn't that make me a hostile? Whatever. I was really getting scared now, and I could tell this was my attacker's plan.

The footsteps changed direction. There was a whirring sound, and next thing I knew, I was in a headlock. I struggled wordlessly, but the person who was holding onto me was both bigger and stronger. Probably Xaldin, I decided.

There was no point in screaming, "let go of me!" though that did come to mind. I tried to scream but found a hand pressed to my mouth. I tried to bite him, but he was wearing gloves. My arms were pinned behind my back, my legs kept motionless by his ankles.

I didn't even have a chance, everything was moving so fast. Next thing I knew, I was lying face-first on the ground with the full weight of Xaldin on my back. Something cold pressed against my left shoulder blade.

I spat out the dirt in my mouth. "What are you…?" But I was cut short when the object- a needle, I realized, pieced my skin, leaving behind a cold, slightly acidic feeling that was slowly spreading through me. I didn't even have time to scream before the needle left amy body and Xaldin disappeared into a dark corridor.

Breathing hard, I stood up. My veins felt like they burned slightly.

"Oh, my gosh," I whispered to myself. This was not good. What had he just put into me? Perhaps it was my reflexes catching up to me, but I was trembling now. Oh, no. I was scared. It could be some kind of poison…

Without another real option, I finally wandered back to the camp. I felt dizzy. Nothing had straight lines. Would one of Sora's friends be able to help me? The acidic buzzing hadn't left, but spread to my ears produced a weird, nervy feeling.

I stumbled into the clearing. The last embers of the campfire were still clinging to life. Sora stared at me, drowsy.

"…I thought I heard something back there, are you okay?"

All I could manage to say to him was, "…Sora…" I wondered if I could have possibly gotten those two syllables to sound more pathetic.

Then, I blacked out.

* * *

...And cue plot device! XD  
Here things in the story will really start to change from the original. Can you believe that I almost forgot to post the chapter today? I've been working on other stuff... Not that this story isn't important to me, because of course it is. It's my favorite story to write.  
As usual, nothing much is happening on my end. I saw Riverdance live a few days ago- they were great. I really recommend seeing them if you have the chance. They're an Irish step dancing group, and as I'm about six percent Irish...  
I also read a really good fanfiction today about Demyx's past. It's called _Pastoral Symphony in Blue Minor_ by Luc Court. It's a bit long, but very enjoyable. I have also discovered an actual good vampire series, called _The Last Vampire_ by Christopher Pike. It's one of those bulk books under the title Thirst. Worth checking out, if you're into that stuff.

Thank you _**The Espada Sisters, roxy mccartney, NinjaSheik, Ravenr20, moonstone.78, viltiger, Chiaroscurist,**_ and annonie _**Mystical**_ for reviewing last chapter. Also, thanks to _**aLItlehelp**_ for the DeviantART tips. I'll get around to putting this on there, if I don't forget...  
Next Update: March 17th AKA St. Patrick's Day


	7. The Snowball Effect

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Hear me? Nada. Zilch. Some other fancy French word that means 'nothing.'**

Chapter Seven  
The Snowball Effect

I woke up, finally, with three people staring at me. My head was throbbing, and the sun insisted on being annoyingly bright in the sky.

I would have jolted awake, but there was no 'jolt' in me. Was it really this late? Why didn't they wake me?

I sat up gingerly. The whole world swung forward. It was a good thing my stomach was empty, or I would have thrown up.

"Are… are you okay?" Sora asked me, cautiously.

My words were slow to come. "W-what happened?"

"I was just wondering that," he began. "I heard this noise in the woods. I thought that maybe you'd found a Heartless or something. Then you came back to camp and passed out."

Slowly, very slowly, I remembered. Xaldin, the needle. I didn't know if they would believe me if I told them that. "An… Organization member…" I hoped that would suffice.

"So they're really against you?"

I nodded. "I didn't think so until now," I admitted. "I don't know what I was thinking… of _course_ they would do something like that."

"You don't look so good," Goofy told me.

"You really don't…" Sora trailed off. "You know Aerith, my friend? She's a white mage. Maybe she knows what's up? What did they do to you?"

"I don't know…" I whispered. "There was a needle, and…" my left hand twitched a little. "It made me… I feel all… weird." I couldn't meet any one of them in the eye and felt like I was about to projectile vomit.

"Myde, you should really see Aerith." Sora was on the verge of begging. So he was actually concerned? I felt a little touched.

"I'll be okay in a few hours." The words sounded dead. What could she do? Then again, how could it hurt? But I didn't want to be a burden. I was supposed to _help_ them, not drag them down.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah… if I still feel like this later, I'll see her." He'd forget about it. All I had to do was act like I felt okay on the outside. I might actually be better by then.

Some hope.

"If you're sure," Sora trailed off uneasily. "Then we should really go now."

"Where to?" I blinked to dismiss the doubled images.

"Halloween Town. I haven't been there in a while."

"Okay."

He stared at me warily, but continued to pack up camp.

Finally, after fifteen long minutes, we boarded the ship and headed for the new world.

I'd been there before. With the exception of Hallow Bastion, most of the worlds were familiar to me. It would be a long ride from here. I needed to relax.

The dregs of the needle still sluiced in my veins. Mostly the acidic effect was gone, but it had taken the sharpness out of everything, making my vision oddly blurred around the edges.

The last thing I saw before I fell asleep was Sora slapping Donald for something he said.

* * *

I had expected dreamless sleep, with the drug. No, instead everything was entirely too vivid- it was a memory, I realized.

I was maybe five or six in it. It was an icy night sometime in January or February- one of those miserable months with little light or warmth. How fitting.

I was with my parents; we were driving from somewhere, some family party or something. We were all in a good mood- as a child, it was late and I was sleepy. Just as my eyes fluttered shut, I saw bright headlights- _too bright to be from the other lane._

Then, there was the sound of breaking glass and splintering metal, and I was pitched from my backseat in that half-asleep, childish daze.

I didn't know how far I flew- maybe five or ten feet- but I went far enough to be startled awake and get a few scratches across my exposed skin.

I was still tired and dazed enough to fall asleep once the world had stopped moving- only to be shaken awake by a complete stranger.

"The boy… the boy is alive!"

All of a sudden, a bunch of grownups were around me. One shone a light directly into my eyes- another had scooped me up.

"You've got to stay awake, sweetie. Can you do that? Huh? Just keep talking to me."

Had I been talking? My head hurt. I babbled to the lady about the party or wherever we'd been- it had been a long time, the memory was fuzzy. No matter what I said, the lady stroked my hair and kept prompting me.

They put me on a stretcher and put a mask over my face. The mask made my voice sound funny, so I didn't talk anymore. No one forced me after that- I didn't have a concussion.

I think I slept for a long time, because the next thing I knew it was bright and another lady was next to me.

"Morning, honey," she said. She had frizzy red hair tied back.

"G'morning, lady." Tiny fists rubbed at my eyes.

"My name is Lizzie. I'm a nurse. I've been watching you all night. We were worried."

"Where's my mommy?"

Her smile faltered. "I'll be right back, sweetheart."

She was gone just long enough for my childish mind to speculate where I was (and get bored of it). I was poking at the bandages on my hands when she came back, this time with a doctor and yet another lady.

The doctor also poked at my bandages, and made me breathe with a cold thing on my chest. He nodded, wrote something down, ruffled my hair, and left.

"My name is Amber," the other lady introduced herself. "I work for your parents. I'm what's called a social worker."

"What does that mean?"

She smiled. "Nothing to worry about." Her look instantly became more tired, sadder. "I came to talk to you about something, Myde."

"Where's my mommy?" I repeated. "Why am I in a 'opsital'?"

Amber took a stuffed bear out of the bag she was carrying. She handed it to me, and I began to unconsciously play with it. "Myde, honey, you're going to be staying with your aunt Kimi from now on, okay? Your… dear, your parents… They've passed away."

I searched my head for the meaning of 'passed away.' Daddy had used that word to describe grandma… "Okay…"

"Sweetheart," Amber continued, eyes full of tears. "Last night, you were in a car accident. You only got a little bruised up, but both your parents… they were killed. They're dead."

I was old enough to grasp the meaning of death- gone, something never to be seen again. "They… they left me?"

"I'm so sorry, Myde." Amber hugged me tight, the bear crushed between us.

Even as a child, I dissolved into tears.

* * *

I woke with a start, my lungs not drawing enough air fast enough. I felt like I'd gotten kicked in the stomach.

The memory was a shock. I didn't know I could think back that far. Everything was scrambled and out of control. That accident was what originally set off the chain of events that led to me being… well, who I was now.

I knew that, but everything else was in the dark. Over ten years had passed since I found out my parents abandoned me- but still, I found myself struggling with the tears. Being half-awake intensified the emotion.

"Are you okay?" Goofy asked me suddenly.

"Yeah, yeah," I managed, swallowing hard. "Bad dream… I'm fine."

As I woke up, the feeling subsided. When I was a kid, finding it out killed, especially from a very half-assed social worker. There wasn't some way she could have broken it to me any easier?

I wasn't six anymore. I was completely okay. I was nineteen now, all grown up and able to cope with the loneliness.

Wait… that number didn't sound right.

What was it Vexen had said? Nobodies didn't age. I guess that was true, but all of them were into their twenties and thirties and most of the time people that age look the same for ten or twenty years. But me? I had been young when I joined- young enough to cause surprise. Older than Zexion or Roxas, but still a kid, at sixteen.

I'd finished maturing, sure, but after that I just stopped.

Did that mean I was sixteen? Wow. Only a year older than Sora.

Did any of that matter now? I didn't know how to feel after seeing the memory, whether it was sad or just whatever.

"I'm fine," I repeated to myself. The sooner this day was over, the better.

Like I said, I'd been to Halloween Town before on a few recon missions. It was kind of like a horror movie come alive, but it somehow was more fun-and-games scary than really horrific.

I walked in a sort of daze in with them. What with my still-not-completely-awake attitude, all the purple and orange and gray made me feel high.

"What do we do?" I asked Sora in what I hoped was a clear voice.

"Just wander, I guess." He shrugged. "The problems usually make themselves known quickly."

So he didn't have a plan? I was alert enough to feel a bit irritated with him.

I noticed just then they had a sudden change in costume- Sora looked like some vampire/bat hybrid, Donald was a sort of mummy with his midsection missing, and Goofy looked like some kind of Frankenstein. Me, I wasn't wearing anything special, just my cloak. Maybe it was because it was dark enough, but I found myself feeling a bit disappointed.

Regardless of costumes, we continued on. Sora took out any Heartless with ease, so I didn't really have to fight. This was my first real mission with them, I realized.

So this was it? No plan, no anything, really?

I shook my head.

"_Sally_! Wretched girl!" Someone screamed.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"Doctor Finklestein," he told me. "Sally is his… daughter."

"Why the hesitation?"

"…You'll see."

I decided not to push it further, though I'd been to Halloween Town before and I knew how weird the inhabitants looked.

"We might as well find her for him," Sora said, slightly exasperated.

"I'm sure she'll go when she wants to." I raised an eyebrow.

"I just… she has this weird sixth sense. Maybe she knows if something's going on here. We're finding her." I sensed an invisible _end of story_ on that.

"Okay, okay."

We walked from the town square into a graveyard. It wasn't like most- there was still a creepy feeling resonating, but it was more of a fun, playful creepy than something jumping out to rip your head off. Though here you never knew…

A wave of dizziness washed over me. I swayed on the spot and grappled before they noticed. While I was successful on the most part, they'd already gone ahead, through a coffin that somehow brought you further into town. A slide, maybe? I went over for a closer look, only to have a sound startle me.

The sound of a dark corridor.

I tensed; who was it? I hoped it was Axel, though what he wanted I had no idea.

"Turn around slowly and no one gets hurt." The voice was slightly mocking, but carried traces of a British accent.

Luxord.

I obeyed, another wave of vertigo nearly sweeping me off my feet. I gasped and waited for the little red dots to disappear, breathing heavily.

"Hello, poppet," he greeted. "Feeling a bit… down on your luck?"

"What do you want?" His image was still doubled.

"Oh, not much." He pulled out his cards and fanned them. "Would you look at that? Ace of Spades. Lucky you." Luxord began to come towards me.

I was cornered, too dizzy to attack and run for it. I could always go through the coffin, but it would be too obvious… He could grab me easily. I took a step back. "I'm not going with you."

A smile. The cards covered his mouth. "What choice do you have, love?"

"I can… I'll fight you."

"You'd lose. Your eyes are crossing, you know that?" He was at my side now. "You were always the weakest of us… it's no surprise that you would end up like this."

I was too busy hanging on to consciousness to move away. His hand applied pressure to my right shoulder. I crumpled, and then I passed out.

* * *

Luxy! :D I love the guy. I really hope I have him more in-character this time around.  
This chapter was short :P. Sorry guys! And Happy Saint Patrick's Day. Axel would tell you for me, but right now he's too drunk even though it's barely seven at night.  
Oh yeah! I'll be posting the first chapter of this story on deviantART tonight under the original's title, _Nocturne's Return_. My username is **Princess-of-Rose** on there if you want to find it. Add me, I'll add you.  
Anna's back! Dun-dun-dun-dun! It only took you like three weeks _ techincal difficulties? Ah well, we missed you.  
Anna: -cocks gun- "I still can't find him. Is anyone here wearing green, by any chance?"

...So yeah! No news from me. Did you think anything different? I might be updating _Sweetest Poison_ soon, but that's about all. Oh, and I have the prologue to the sequel written and I finally have it the way I want it.

Thank you _**Ravenr20, Chiaroscurist, NinjaSheik, roxy mccartney, vildtiger, The Chel, **_annonie _**Mystical**_, and Anna for reviewing last chapter. We're nearly at the fifty mark already, guys. That's impressive for so few chapters.  
Next Update: March 24


	8. Death Throes

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

Chapter Eight  
Death Throes

It took Sora maybe fifteen seconds to realize something was wrong. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked around. "He was right behind us," he murmured.

"What's wrong, Sora?" Goofy asked.

"Myde. He's gone. I just realized…" Sora was still staring at the door that had led them here.

"Maybe he got tired of it and decided to leave," Donald offered.

"No… When I talked to him… he seemed really sincere about helping us… But he was sick today. Maybe he passed out?" Sora couldn't help it. He hadn't necessarily treated their alliance as anything more than that, but there was still a nagging feeling. "I'll be right back." He went through the door and found himself back in the graveyard.

The hydro was missing. Sora didn't know what he expected. Had he really just ran away?

"Myde!" He called. "Myde! Where are you?"

No response.

"You could have at least said goodbye," The Keyblade master muttered, and suddenly noticed something on the ground. Two things, actually.

One was a black object that somewhat resembled a comb, only the letters _D & M_ were stamped on it. Myde's initials before he became human, maybe? But then there wouldn't be an '&.'

The next object was a larger-than usual playing card.

Ace of Spades.

When Sora flipped it over, he saw the card had the Nobody insignia on it.

_Oh, no._

* * *

I woke up with my hands bound and my face pressed to a cold, white surface.

Someone laughed. "Well, well. Look who's up?" It was Xigbar's voice.

No.

This couldn't be happening. Even if my hands weren't tied, I still would have been able to tell anyway.

I was back at the castle.

His face was a tad too close to mine, one of his hands holding my head down. There was a smirk on his face, his one gold eye glinting.

I tried to keep myself from hyperventilating, attempted to keep my expression neutral… but my heart gave me away.

Xigbar laughed again. "Humans are fun! Your little heart sounds like it'll explode."

I could spit in his face, I realized. But what good would that do me?

"I forgot what fear smells like."

He let go of my head and stood up. I was on the floor, in some random room I couldn't recognize.

"All right, Boss. He's yours."

"Thank you, Two."

"Just doing my job." It sounded like he left the room- he was whistling.

Someone grabbed my arm and forced me up. The room pitched, and I struggled to stay standing.

Saïx's face came into focus when my head stopped spinning. He had my shoulders in his hands, a snarl on his face.

I didn't know what to say. Even an apology just seemed wrong.

He slapped me across the face, the leather hurting a lot more than if he had just used his hand. I sucked in a breath but didn't say anything.

Without much more explanation than that, he grasped my arm and pulled me along, down a hallway and some stairs.

I didn't ask where we were going. I knew better. A sense of doom hung over me, though. I knew what would happen. They way I was being treated… It was obvious there would be no mercy.

I was being led to my own execution.

Tears trembled in my eyes without my knowledge. I didn't want to die. Not yet.

"Fear is a pitiful emotion." Saïx's monotone voice came from next to me. I'd forgotten… He could smell it on me. "So is sorrow."

I expected him to say something after that, but there was nothing.

There never was.

He snapped, once. A door slid open.

It was a room I'd been in, I realized, many times before. Where Nothing Gathers, known mostly to us as the Round Room.

Oh, so it was a formal execution, in front of everybody. I thought I deserved less than that.

Saïx dragged me onto the main dais.

There was nothing I could do now, absolutely nothing. I looked towards the door, but it had shut and blended into the wall. And considering I couldn't use dark corridors…

I exhaled and looked up. Xaldin was missing- as was Luxord. Xigbar wasn't there, either, but Axel was.

I stared at him. His arms were crossed in his usual way, and he was attempting to look calm and indifferent. I tried to catch his gaze.

_Axel,_ I mouthed.

There was no point in hoping, though I did wonder wildly why they were going to murder me in the first place. I'd been here three years, three years in which everyone doubted both my intelligence and my strength. But yet, why were they so quick to scrap that when I found my heart? Why _didn't_ they think it was an accident?

Either way, I was a disposable member who no one really liked anyway. I had betrayed them.

It was an excuse to get rid of me.

I would have thought that, I guess, back when I thought the whole world was out to get me. Not that I knew much better, but this was bigger than me.

Were they going to steal my heart?

What would they do with it? Physically, if they cut it out, I would die, and so would it. If they tried, somehow, to take its core…

My breathing was shallow. No one said a word.

Finally, I heard Xemnas's voice. "Who found him?"

"Ten did." Saïx's voice was passive, uncaring.

"I'm surprised it was so easy. Given the fact that you seem to be more intelligent than we first calculated..."

Words came before I could stop them. "Oh, you think so?" I struggled just to see his high chair, in the center of the room. The whiteness was blinding, and the effort alone made my head reel. "You don't think this was all… I don't know, an accident?"

"How?" Xemnas's voice was low, deadly. "It's just not possible."

From his chair, Axel made a slicing motion across his throat, staring at me now. It clearly said, _what are you saying, idiot? Shut up!_

I didn't know.

I didn't know anything anymore.

"What do you want with me?" I asked. It was getting difficult to breathe.

"You have one chance," The words carried down to me easily. "One chance to tell us what you know. About hearts. About Sora."

"What would _he_ know about Sora?" Axel asked.

"He's been traveling with him," Xemnas explained, matter-of-fact. "Ten told me that when he was tailing him, the two not only spoke but seemed very friendly. There's an alliance between them." His nose wrinkled. "And I can smell Sora's light."

I trembled a bit.

I could tell that hit Axel low, for some reason. Sora was Roxas's Somebody. And he and Roxas…

"You… you… why didn't you tell me?" He sounded both hurt and angry at the same time.

"When would he have?" Xemnas demanded. It was both a question and an accusation. "I'm losing my patience with you, Eight. You both saved him and didn't apprehend him when you saw him."

I was beginning to wonder if my real name would ever come up. All these 'hims' and 'hes' were getting confusing when we were all male.

"Why have you made this your mission?" Axel asked. "I thought it was all about creating and preserving Kingdom Hearts so we could get our hearts back, not chasing down and killing Myde." There it was.

But was he defending me? If so, why?

"You just missed the point." Saïx spoke now, and emphasized every word. "If he tells us what he knows, we won't need Kingdom Hearts anymore."

Axel glared at him.

Xemnas turned to me now. "I will be lenient," he told me. "If you just tell us what you know."

Axel knew that I knew. I opened my mouth and shut it, trying to decide how to answer.

If I told them, I would be saving my own life, but making them more powerful, more dangerous. Who knows what Organization XIII could do with the power of darkness, now that they knew how to control it without it consuming them?

But… there was a little voice in my head, and it sounded like Sora. It clearly told me not to. I didn't want to tell them. I didn't want to have so many people killed because of me.

What would happen once they became human, anyway? I highly doubted the members left would split apart. No… I didn't know what they would do.

I could feel my own heart beating in my ears. My chest was starting to hurt. My eyes stung from the brightness of the room, which was spinning again…

I couldn't do this. The basic fate of the world was in my hands, and I was only a kid… My chest hurt…

The pain had been slow building, and the conversation had distracted me. Now, though, it was hard to ignore.

It wasn't my heart, though that was throbbing. That's the thing. It was a pain in the direct center of my chest, making me feel crumpled.

The pain was a steady crescendo. I couldn't take it. Everyone staring at me… the brightness…

I screamed, falling out of Saïx's grip. God, I felt like I was imploding.

"What are you doing?" Axel demanded of Xemnas. It sounded like they dropped onto the platform to reach me.

"Absolutely nothing…" he murmured.

My muscles had all seized up. Axel grasped my shoulders.

"Myde! What's going on?"

I couldn't move. I was a rag doll with my hands bound. Breathing was hard, moving was impossible… it felt like my very being would split right in half…

I stared without really seeing. Xemnas had a funny, bemused look on his face… "It must be working." What?

The pain reached its peak. I couldn't even scream, but my body reacted by cutting out my consciousness.

* * *

Breathing. Shallow.

Heartbeat. Slow.

A moan.

No, no. A gasp.

It took me an impossibly long time to realize it was I making the noise. My brain felt like it was on its lowest possible setting. I felt half-asleep.

The ground was mostly cool, but warm where I'd been lying. A few more minutes rest, and then I'd see what was going on.

There was a funny, numb sort of low-burning pain. There, but hard to notice. It lurked.

All around, I felt weird. My body was floaty. My vision was blurred, and everything was white, aside from me in my black cloak.

What?

It took a few seconds to remember the basics- human, Myde, teenager, and then I pulled out the big guns.

It all came back. My most recent meeting with Xemnas, and then… that pain. Where had it come from? It wasn't my heart. It couldn't be. It was too far to the right.

I tried to sit up, but I was too tired, too _weak_. I hadn't ever been this lazy before.

Without much else to do, I fell back asleep.

* * *

I woke up with a headache and a dry sort of thirst. My mind was working slightly faster than it had been whenever I'd been up first.

The first thing I thought of-

Where am I?

The second-

What's going on?

The third-

Man, I'm thirsty.

That last thought was kind of terrifying. As a water element, it was rare I got dehydrated or felt thirst, which meant it had either been a _really_ long time since I'd fallen asleep, or something was wrong with me.

I sat up, ignoring the head rush. It seemed like I was in some kind of cell. It was probably about twelve feet in diameter and round, but there were no bars.

Oh. Maybe they'd just put me there. Could I really just walk out?

I scooted over to the entrance and put my hand through the front- only, it didn't get through. It stopped, hitting a surface that felt like glass.

I punched the substance. It wasn't glass. First of all, if it were glass, it would have broken, or if it were stronger glass, my hand would hurt right now. Second, air was getting through.

A magic barrier? Transparent, flickering slightly pink in some places. Yeah. I was trapped.

Well, if it was magic, maybe I could _break_ it with magic…

I summoned my sitar. It came easily, the weight reassuring me. I could do this. But what would I do if I got out? The farthest I could get was the city. I couldn't leave this world.

"Dance, water, dance," I whispered, playing the familiar chords.

Nothing happened.

The water didn't manifest. There was no swooping moment of control that usually came when I summoned the water.

_The water didn't come_.

My pulse quickened a little. What happened to my powers?

I gripped the neck of my sitar now, and swung it towards the barrier. It bounced off, leaving both instrument and barrier unharmed.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

I gasped and my sitar disappeared.

It was only Axel. He stared at me.

"What's going on?" I asked him.

"You're being held as a prisoner."

"No," I murmured sarcastically. "I would have never guessed!"

"I came to check on you," he clarified unnecessarily. "The past day or so you've been unconscious…"

"What happened to me?" I asked, sitting down.

Axel followed my example. "I… I don't know. I've never seen anything like it. And what Xemnas said right before you passed out… I don't understand. 'It's working.'"

"So why are you asking me?"

"Because they had to have done something to you."

Why did he care? "They… one night, I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk. Xaldin found me. He had an injector… I don't know what it did, but it just… weakened me or something. I still don't feel the same. My powers… they're starting to short-circuit."

"Did you look at your wrist?"

I did now. There was a silver bracelet on my left wrist. "Is this… doing something?"

"I thought it was only a tracker… I just don't know anymore. They're getting wary of me."

"It's my fault. Because you saved me."

"No, it's mine. Did you really think I would have let him kill you a few days ago?"

"…Maybe."

"Why would you think that, Myde?"

"What is this, psychological intervention? You never liked me. None of them did. It was always you and Roxas. I know you guys talked trash about me, and I never cared. What was the point in saving me?"

His eyes flared. "Maybe I was feeling sentimental. Why? Would you rather have died?"

"No… of course not." I sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just… not myself right now."

"I can see that."

We were both silence for a few minutes.

"I don't know what he did to you or what he thinks he can accomplish," Axel finally told me. "I'm trying to find out. But we're friends. There's no point in asking for you to trust me, sure. But I won't hurt you."

What was the point of this speech? "…I know."

"Catch." He pulled some objects from his pocket and threw them at the barrier. I expected them to bounce right off, but they passed through and landed at my feet. A pad of staff paper, a pen, and a bottle of water.

"How did this stuff get through?" I clutched the paper to my chest.

"Things can get in," he explained. "But not out." He turned. "I have to go now. Someone'll be along in a few hours. Don't drink all that at once."

Axel was already halfway down the hallway when I remembered… "Thank… you."

He waved dismissively.

* * *

*Edit*- Ugh! So sorry about the wait! If you didn't get to see the AN, Fanfic his been down for me for the past week. It was really frustrating! It never gets that bad.

And thus, the beginning of the infamous prison cell bit.  
I assure you, I cut this part of the story _way_ down from its length in the original. Instead of twelve chapters, it's only like three or four. And less angsting. Not to mention, I actually achieve something with this plot wise this time around. See? I can learn. XD

The second chapter is up on deviantART! The second chapter of this story. The link's at the bottom of my profile. You don't have to read it, but I'd love to see some of you guys over there. I can't draw but I'm sure you guys can. Oh, friend me and I'll friend you.

Thank you _**NinjaSheik, vildtiger, The Chel, Ravenr20, Zemby, Chiaroscurist**_, annonie _**Mystical**_, and Anna for reviewing last chapter. Props to you all; in seven chapters, I've gotten fifty-three reviews. That's pretty fantastic.

Next update: approx. April 7th


	9. Paranoia

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

Chapter Nine  
Paranoia

Things settled into hardcore routine after the first day or so.

It was easy to forget I was a prisoner. Axel turned up once in a while to speak to me. I was allowed out every six hours to use the bathroom. While I was bored, I wasn't being tortured. They even remembered to feed me.

I knew how they disabled and enabled the barrier- it was some sort of weird keycard. I would have snatched it out of the hands of whoever was my escort, but I was getting weaker.

I didn't know how. It was gradual. Maybe it was from lying around all the time, but I'd done that before and nothing ever happened to me. I started getting these weird headaches, and when I slept, it was for hours at a time. I used to be such a light sleeper.

Time became irrelevant. I had absolutely no perception of night and day- the hallway outside my cell was nothing but dim whiteness. There were no windows. I kept time by the arrival of my meals- five or so hours apart.

The staff paper Axel gave me didn't go to waste. I discovered that the first few pages were actually filled- songs I'd written. I didn't know how to feel about that. It meant Axel had been in my old room.

Still, I wrote and wrote and wrote. Notes came easily and sounded good to my ears. I hadn't had a good songwriting binge in a while.

But while my stay was somewhat peaceful, there was this underlying feeling of paranoia… Like things were about to get bad.

And being who I was, I ignored it.

A week in, they let me shower.

It felt great, to let the hot water just run over me and wash away just the overall grunge. For half a second I felt almost normal.

I was only given fifteen minutes, so I couldn't just sit there until the hot water ran out. I dried off, got dressed, and stared out the window.

It had a barrier of its own, naturally, and was small and high up, but that didn't stop me from trying to look out. I stood on tiptoe.

Here, it was hard to tell day from night. But a scent came to me… a familiar scent.

It was going to rain soon.

Rain was rare here. I would always go run around in it when it came, but now I was trapped. Not for the first time, I missed freedom. I wanted to get out of here.

I couldn't just sit here forever. All along I'd sort of been hoping they'd let me go. But I knew better. That wasn't happening, unless I fess up, and even then it was possible I'd still be a prisoner.

I gazed longingly at the clouds. Did I even exist to the world anymore? Being in such isolation was mind numbing. I missed other people.

If I were a Nobody, I probably wouldn't have felt like this.

A sudden, random wave of nausea cut off my thoughts. I covered my mouth and stuck my face in the toilet, retching.

Where the hell did that come from? I hadn't felt sick at all the entire day.

I flushed the toilet and cleaned myself up. It had to have been the food. Most of the time I couldn't even tell what it was.

I finally stumbled out of the room to Xigbar, who was playing a PSP. He sighed and paused it, stuffing it into his pocket. "You alright? I thought I heard you throw up."

"Must be your game."

I followed him blearily back to my cell and curled up on the floor, wondering how it had suddenly become so comfortable.

* * *

I didn't know how long I slept, but when I woke up, I still felt like I was in a dream.

My eyesight was blurred around the edges. I felt slightly numb.

Had I caught some sort of sickness? That was impossible, though, in a germ vacuum like this.

I felt sick to the stomach and basically like I had some sort of concussion. I was fine a few hours ago. What had happened now?

Did I want to know?

I propped myself up on an elbow, only to find Axel watching me warily.

"Are you okay?" He asked. "You don't look good."

"I'm fine," I mumbled.

"No, really. You're pale."

"I feel… weird. I don't know how."

"…Sick?"

I nodded. "I… I want to ask you something. How long as it been since I got here?"

"Nearly two weeks."

"…Really?"

"Yes. And Saïx is being impossible about it."

"'Impossible…'"

"I don't know. Saying this is too good for you."

I shrugged. "What was I expecting? He's right."

"They most likely poisoned you and you think he's right?"

"In some circles. I was a part of this group. I swore allegiance. And now I won't tell, but even if I had the chance I don't think I would."

"…How did you get with Sora?"

"Axel…"

"Myde, please tell me."

I sighed. "We ran into each other in the Land of Dragons. They interrogated me, but had to run off to fight a Heartless. I followed them. Sora's friends got knocked out and I helped him. We talked for a while after that, and he asked me if I wanted to join them. That's it." I met his gaze a little shakily. "Axel, he's not like Roxas. You can't get him back."

"What gives you the right to say that?" Once again, he one-eightied. "How do you know that's what I tried to do?"

"It's not all that hard to figure out," I murmured. "When they sent you to find him…" I realized I had no evidence to back this up. "I… I overheard Saïx talking about it. That you had the wrong approach to getting him back."

"You don't understand. He was _trapped_ in this little world. He thought he was someone else. He was brainwashed."

"But why?"

"How am I supposed to know? All of a sudden he disappears from us, and when we find him again, he can't remember who he is. He's with Sora now. I just know it."

"So that's why you saved me," I breathed, finally figuring it out. "You _knew _Sora was in that world. You put me there so we would run into each other. You wanted me to coax the Roxas out of him." I was becoming slightly hysterical. "Well, it didn't work! Instead… he did something to me. I don't know what it is. But it changed me." It would explain my almost reflex to keep the information on hearts from them.

"His light." Axel didn't even deny my accusations.

"So you used me then. At least I'm still alive." I was still breathing heavy. "What did you expect me to do? Suddenly have Roxas's consciousness pop up and say, _hey, I'm here_? It wasn't like I could bring him back, because the Organization hates both of us."

"It was a coincidence. I could have stepped in myself if I wanted to."

"Yeah, right. What good would it have done? He would have seen your cloak, and have tried to kill you."

"Then why didn't he kill you?" Axel was growing frustrated.

"I don't know!" I tried to relax. "Why… why are we even having this conversation?"

"Because I pushed it and you're psychotic. Can't say I blame you."

"I don't know why I'm getting sick."

"…I don't know either. I'd say not to eat the food… but we all eat the same thing. I saw Xigbar plate it for you the other day. He didn't do anything, and the Dusk he gave it to couldn't have."

"It had to be that needle, then…"

"But there's no point freaking about it, it won't help. I can try to talk to Xemnas… but there's no guarantees."

"You don't have to. You don't owe me anything."

"I kind of want to know for myself." He sighed. "We might not have been close, but we _were_ friends once, and I can tell this was all an accident."

I still wanted to know why he cared. "Right. No guarantees."

His voice dropped down to almost a whisper. "Look, he doesn't trust me either. Something's gone a little wrong with him."

"He did seem a bit… unstable." I still didn't quite understand his motives. Axel was acting weird… Was he really offering to help me? Why, though? Maybe, just like all the others, he wanted me to fess up, and thought that I would consider it as a payment of debt (he had saved my life, after all). But I wasn't that honorable. Could I trust Axel? It was hard to tell. I put my hand to my face. Another headache was trying to etch the surface.

"You okay?"

"Yeah… headache." I shrugged it off.

Axel stood up. "I guess I'll see you then?"

I nodded, and once he was gone, I fell right back asleep.

* * *

The days got harder to tolerate, even though I slept mostly right through them.

My senses, once so sharp and precise, became blurred, unreliable. I wondered if it was through either exposure or being held here so long, but I couldn't tell.

Eventually, my hand got too shaky to hold a pen, and I couldn't compose anymore. While it hurt, I couldn't really feel much in my current state.

I forgot mostly everything through the long expanses of just hours of sitting here. Why I was here, what I was supposed to be doing, even who I was.

It would mostly be gone while I slept- when I woke up, things would come back, always less clear than before.

I should have been worried… but I was too tired. And it seemed that the more I slept, the worse it got, but that didn't change anything. I could barely keep my eyes open anymore.

I got sick a lot, mostly after showers or when I was allowed out. I was surprised it never happened during the six hours I had to stay in the cell. It was strange, though, and disturbing. The water seemed to act as an irritant.

I knew I should be getting afraid, but I didn't. Most of me focused on sleeping and keeping food down, and if I allowed it, writing songs. Paper made me dizzy. The notes looked like they were dancing, no pun intended.

There had to be something seriously wrong with me. I wondered if Axel would really talk to Xemnas. Everything seemed unreal. Maybe this was a dream, all of it. Maybe I was still a Nobody.

* * *

There was a permanent feeling of unease inside the castle. Axel wandered down a hallway absently. He'd just gotten back from a mission, and he was feeling more wiped than usual. He'd had to fight a Heartless- a pureblood- and it had taken more energy out of him than he had expected.

_Quite a gloomy place to return home to_, he thought to himself, _what with more than half of us dead_.

If they'd been closer friends, he might have visited Myde, but they were nothing more than mere acquaintances and Axel had a feeling that if he went down there, he would just leave feeling more exhausted.

_Oh, right. I said I would ask Xemnas about that. It's not like he'll answer me. I might as well drop in before I crash_.

The Superior's office was empty- this wasn't surprising, most of the time all he did was sit on his throne in the Round Room and rhapsodize about Kingdom Hearts, either silently to himself or out loud to any who dared approach.

Axel wrinkled his nose, seriously considered just going to his room to sleep, but decided to continue on. He was most of the way there, anyway.

_Why am I even doing this?_ Axel asked himself. It wasn't like they'd ever really been friends. They hadn't even really gotten along. He'd kind of taken pity on the hydro, considering he was alone all the time and it seemed that people like Myde enjoyed company. Yet, Axel felt kind of concerned. Myde had seemed fine the first time Axel saw him, and slightly worse the next- but now, he seemed sick, and the conversation they'd had the other day was just plain weird.

He'd had some hope, true, that if Sora saw Myde some part of Roxas would awaken- that was partially why he sent him to a world where the Keyblade master had been, so that maybe they'd meet. He wanted Roxas back. Didn't Myde? Though they'd only been a trio for a whole week or so. Then something happened, something Axel couldn't remember.

He'd thought that, maybe if Roxas stirred, Sora would remember Axel as a friend and seek him out. Though why Sora, he had no idea. Why hadn't the hydro told Axel he was with Sora?

There was no use thinking about it now. It was all over anyway.

Axel teleported to his chair. "Hey, Xemnas. I need to ask you something."

Xemnas looked a little irritated, if anything, not to referred to as 'Superior' or 'My lord.' "What would that be, Eight?"

"Just out of curiosity… what did you do to Demyx? He told me Xaldin confronted him." Axel had noticed that Xemnas had not called Myde by his name, so he played it safe.

Xemnas sighed. "After how you helped him, I'm not sure I like telling you… but it's too late now, so it makes no difference." A hint of a smirk touched the older man's face. "Why? Is he acting strangely?"

"A bit, I suppose."

"See, Four always had this theory… given the distinct physical differences between a human and a Nobody, we always wondered about the differences there would be between the souls. He could never prove that a soul was a real thing… We always wondered what would happen to a Nobody's soul if they received a heart, considering our spirits are so strong, and they need to be, just to keep us alive."

Axel tried to work it out quickly. "So you're saying…"

"Upon looking at him that first day I found out, I thought his soul would destroy his heart, mostly because the first is so strong. But no, it's the other way around."

Xemnas paused, giving Axel the opportunity to work it out. "You're telling me… his soul is deteriorating? But… what does this have to do with Xaldin?"

"We have this serum that we give to all the Dusks to neutralize their powers, make them submissive to us. I had Three give it to him; mostly just thinking it would short-circuit his powers. It did that and more. That attack he had the day he came here? His soul is breaking into pieces."

"Oh." Axel felt horrified, for some reason. "…So he's going to die?"

"Eventually, yes. It's a shame, though, that he won't talk to us. He will most likely give in when he is at his limits."

He tried to keep the words inside his head, but he heard them anyway. "How long is… eventually?"

"A month. Maybe two." Xemnas raised an eyebrow. "Eight… why are you so concerned? I got the impression that you found him to be a bit of a nuisance."

"Yeah… I did. Yeah, I'll be glad when he's gone." The words were flat. One, lonely thought floated in his head. _If Myde's just going to die anyway, why not let him go? He told me himself that he wouldn't talk to you, Xemnas…_ "Thank you for telling me, Superior."

Xemnas nodded once. "Good day, Eight."

Axel teleported to his room. While he was lying on his bed, though, he couldn't fall asleep. Not now.

* * *

-Cackles evilly-  
So yeah, I plan on actually achieveing something with this part of the story, unlike last time. Hello new plot device. I actually kind of like it, unlike the rest of this chapter :(.  
Has anyone here read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? I don't normally like Sci-fi, but this is funny stuff, really worth checking out. I watched the movie, too. The actor who plays Snape is Marvin the Android XD  
Sorry about the late update, it was that stupid site error. I know two other users it happened to. Anyone else?

No one has reviewed yet for last chapter, seeing as I posted it about fifteen minutes ago. So thanks my chapter seven reviews :)  
Next update: Approx. April 7th


	10. Crashing Hard

**Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is not mine.**

Chapter Ten  
Crashing Hard

The days dragged on, somehow.

I wasn't sure how I kept time, considering my main activity now was sleeping. But two more weeks passed.

Any bit of musician that had lived in me was now asleep, too. I should have been devastated, but I was too tired to care.

I was still getting weaker. My vision was foggy. Everything tasted the same (well, it probably would have even if I weren't so sick. I didn't know what I was eating half the time…), I tripped over my feet constantly, it was becoming a weird effort just to sit up…

It never hurt, though. I was numb most the time.

Axel showed up once or twice. He spoke to me for a few minutes, but often left too early, always with a distant look on his face, like he couldn't stand to look at me.

I didn't like being in my head, alone, so much. I just wanted someone, anyone, to talk to, to interact with, even to touch and prove they were real. The thirty-second strolls with Xigbar and Luxord didn't count. I wondered why they still bothered to chaperone me, considering I was too weak now to do anything, but I couldn't say I minded too much. Even silent company was enough.

The worst day, though, out of all of them began when I took a shower.

Once again, I was with Xigbar. I was always happy for him to take me, because I was allowed as long as I wanted so long as he brought his PSP. I looked forward to showering, mostly because there was water all around me and I could forget about what might be happening to me.

I was clean, just buying time with my forehead against the cool tile. Finally, though, I decided enough was enough, turned off the water, and pulled a towel around my waist. I sighed. This was the only time I ever tried to use my powers. They said that silver bracelet was only a tracker, but I wasn't so sure. I was still usually able to create a little orb of water. Not only did nothing happen, but when I tried to form the orb, something pulled the opposite way. Hard.

I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach. I leaned over the toilet and threw up. Getting sick had become normal, almost routine, but this time my body was almost convulsing. I inhaled shakily, wiping my mouth with my hand.

There was blood on it.

"Hey, you alright in there?" Xigbar asked me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I mumbled, hoping his keen ears would catch it.

"If you say so…"

Almost in tears, I brushed my teeth and got dressed, not even bothering to zip my coat. Nearly scared out of my mind, not even wanting to think about what had just happened, I opened the door and found Xigbar, who tried to look like he hadn't been listening.

"Let's go," I said in a monotone voice.

He stood up and put his game back in his pocket. "Sure, sure."

I hadn't walked more than two steps when my stomach lurched again. I wasn't actually sick, but Xigbar walked back into the bathroom and brought out the empty plastic trashcan.

"Here. Take this with you."

Faintly embarrassed, I took it from him. "Thanks."

We went back to my cell in relative silence, but once I had curled back up on the floor, he hadn't left. "What's… what's been up with you lately? Are you feeling okay?"

I had the suspicion that he knew exactly what was wrong with me _and_ why I felt so badly, but I shrugged. "Why do you care?"

"You're right, silly question. But wait a second." He vanished, not through a dark corridor, but instead warping somewhere. He came back with a pillow. "Here. This is from your room."

I felt grateful, of course, even if I knew he just pitied me. "Thank you… Xigbar."

"Uh-huh." He disappeared again.

I put the pillow down. It was clean, at least. I felt tired all of a sudden. I could think about all this later.

* * *

Hours later, Axel visited me.

Instead of the Dusk who usually brought me food, today he had the tray.

"Hey," he said. "You okay? What's the trashcan for?"

I smiled without feeling. "Xigbar didn't want me throwing up on the way back."

"That bad?"

Like he'd know. "I guess."

"Well… here." He handed me the tray through the barrier.

I set it on the floor and stared at it in almost confusion. Usually, the food I got was unrecognizable, though edible. Though for once, next to the water bottle, there was a peach. A real, live peach. I wondered if I was hallucinating. I picked it up and poked at it for a minute. "Is it kind of sad that this is a treat?"

"…A bit," Axel admitted. "You sure you want to eat that?" He said it like a warning.

Hell yes, I did. I felt hungry for the first time. I wondered, though, in the weird light of this place, if this was the actual color the fruit was supposed to be. Without another thought, I took a bite.

The first taste was pure heaven. I had almost forgotten what real food tasted like.

But then… I noticed… it tasted funny.

I swallowed what was in my mouth and looked at the meat. Shining slightly with syrup, it looked okay. I wondered if I was just imagining that it tasted funny.

After a minute or so, though, I knew better.

Axel watched me, eyebrows raised.

I started to feel dizzy. Straight lines didn't exist anymore. I felt a strange pressure, like something was pulling me down. My hand, cupped around the peach, froze halfway to my mouth.

"Axel?" My voice was soft.

"Yeah?" He looked concerned.

"This isn't a normal peach."

And then I passed out.

* * *

The first part of it was… a dream, really.

Memories flashed by in rapid succession. Getting my first sitar from my traveler father, the first school days, my first day on my old world… (Wait, what? I thought I had been born there…) Struggling to read, silly play dates with old friends… My aunt. She showed up a lot after my parents disappeared. Being good at music.

After a while, though, things turned for the worst. I was bullied, tortured, beaten by fellow students (why?). And then… it just all went fuzzy.

The second part of it was more of a hallucination.

I was in this sort of hall. It was a wide hall, but had the distinct feeling of unreality. There were flowing drapes everywhere… people danced, but to no song, and they were all masked, aside from me, and one other.

I remember loving my mother as a little child. I adored her. She was the center of my world. Seeing her again…

She smiled at me, and held a finger to her lips, and sauntered through the crowd.

I couldn't find her. I felt like a kid again. "Mom?" I called, but my cries fell to deaf ears. "Mom!"

I kept following her, running after the plain cream skirt. _Heh, and they'd said I'd never be a skirt chaser._ "Mom, it's me! Your s…" The last syllable came more slowly. "…On."

We were outside now. The sky, the ground, the whole setting was gray, unimportant.

"…Mom?"

She smiled and nodded, baring her full set of teeth.

I was scared. Even at sixteen, I wanted to run into her arms and cry. I had missed her. But something was wrong… she'd never smiled quite like that…

She spoke to me, in this odd, flat voice, "That's right, sweetheart. It's me."

I tried hard to remember exactly what she looked like. Her hair had been a shade darker than mine… her eyes were brown, her face filled with laugh lines.

There was something weird and hollow about this copy. She didn't look quite the same. All the loveliness and softness was gone.

"You're not my mother," I whispered.

Smiling sweetly, she raised her hand as if to caress my cheek. She slapped me, hard, and then grabbed me around the waist, both of us toppling over.

I was taller than her, and logically stronger… my mother had been kind of sickly. I struggled now in her iron grip.

"No, I'm not." She spoke for the second time, her voice inhuman.

Her hand was on my chest, nails digging into my skin. "Stop! That hurts!"

She dragged me up now. "I'm sorry about this." Restrained by her, I had no choice but to follow…

"What are you trying to do?"

There was a chasm. A deep one.

"I don't want to do this."

She grabbed me by the waist and pulled me off. I winced, braced for the impact, but there was none. I was dropped even further still, not through dreams but this time by a crystal-clear memory… Back to the twelve-year-old me.

It was a Tuesday. Kind of dreary, but things were always dreary in this part of town. The house was quiet, dusty. It always was.

Aunt Kimi was in bed. It seemed she did nothing but sleep lately. Her job, still unmentioned even though we'd been living together for years, must tire her out. She did work nights, after all.

I got my things together for school and left without another thought.

The day went by pretty easily. I arrived home on the early side, no one on the streets giving me trouble today. Usually, this neighborhood was crap. I'd been mugged multiple times, and I'd lived here long enough to know not to carry more than a few bucks around.

I walked in the door, even whistling a little. Today had been a good day, for the most part. I'd talked to the band teacher; maybe they'd even let me be in the next concert.

My whistling pattered out. What greeted me was absolute silence- not just the regular quiet of an empty house, just pure, unadulterated silence.

"Hello? Anybody home?"

No response.

"That's weird…" Usually Kimi was at least here when I got home.

I dropped my stuff and walked deeper into the house.

"Aunt Kimi?"

I walked upstairs. Was she at work, maybe taking a day shift? But there was no note on the fridge.

"Aunt Kimi…?"

Was she asleep?

I knocked on her door, tentatively at first, and then growing louder. Finally, I opened the door. The worst possible thing was that she could be asleep, but then I would at least hear her breathe…

On my first step into the room, I slipped on something and landed flat on my back. Water from her shower, maybe? Had she spilled something?

_It's warm_.

I sat up slowly, heart beating a bit faster.

No. Oh, no.

"Aunt Kimi!"

There was blood all over the floor. It was everywhere, on the floor, the bedspread, but no Kimi.

I was panicking. I crawled over, through the warm blood, following the trail that lead into the bathroom.

More blood, a thin trail like the one in the bedroom. I questioned a murderer in a split second of clear thought- then, knowing I absolutely had to, I pulled back the shower curtain.

And there she was, sitting in a mixture of blood and alcohol.

She was dead.

There was a knife in her hand.

She'd stabbed herself in the lower stomach. I looked over slowly, ever so slowly, to the object sitting on the sink. At first glance, I thought it had been a toothbrush.

It was a pregnancy test, the one she'd bought and said she hadn't two weeks ago. I'd seen the box.

It was positive. She'd killed herself over this baby.

She'd killed herself. The thought was a mantra. Trying not to throw up, I reached for the cell phone also on the sink. It was on. Why had she left it here? Maybe in case she backed out?

First instinct, I dialed 911.

"Hello, what is your emergency?"

I was sobbing uncontrollably. "You've got to help me…"

"What seems to be the problem?" The nice lady asked.

"My aunt… she… she…" I couldn't get the rest of the sentence out.

The receptionist waited.

"She's dead… please help me…"

"Tell me your location. How long has she been dead?"

"I don't know… I just got back from school…"

"…Your location?"

I gave her the address. "I just… I don't know what to do…"

"I'm sending someone right now. Just stay on the phone with me until they arrive."

"Thank you… thank you."

Then, lying amongst the blood, I sat in for the hardest fifteen minutes of my life.

* * *

Through layers and layers, I drifted up, back through the memories and into my body, the sixteen-year-old one, the one lying in the cell with the trashcan.

I flopped back, remembering the trauma only too well…

I'd been six when my parents both died, then my aunt took care of me, because she was one of the only ones left. Those years had been mostly okay.

I knew what her job was, now. As a kid, I'd been too naïve to realize what her work was. She worked nights, wore a lot of black, skimpy clothing, too much makeup, always smelled like alcohol and something darker… more perverted.

She was a prostitute.

I now knew why the parents of the other kids had looked at me funny. They could tell just by looking at her.

And when she slipped up, finally, and got herself pregnant, she couldn't take it anymore. She got too selfish.

After that, my grandpa materialized from wherever and looked after me from them on, not the kindest, not the worst, still with the "a good beating will knock it out of him" mindset.

"Oh, god, Myde, what did you get us into?" I whispered, not quite sure to whom.

The floor was cold. My head hurt. I could still see the peach out of the corner of my eye.

"Go away," I told it, trying to kick at it with my foot.

There it was again, this strange, nagging suspicion. Every time I heard that name.

Was that who I was?

He was definitely my Other. But was he I?

We were both different and the same. I'd gone through too much, though. Changed too much.

Why was I clinging to that name? It wasn't me. I couldn't try to be him anymore. Our lives were different.

"Did you say something?"

I sat up as quickly as I could. "…Axel?" My voice was scratchy. "…When did you get here?" I cleared my throat.

"A few minutes ago… I just wanted to see, you know, if you were still alive."

"How long has it been?"

"Long enough."

"Listen, Axel, it was that peach, you were right, it knocked me out…"

The same time I said that, he said, "I talked to Xemnas."

"…You did?" I pressed my hand against the barrier. "What did he say?"

"I'm not sure you really want to know."

"I do! Axel, tell me!"

"Myde, I can't." He didn't look me in the eye.

"It's Demyx again."

"You still have your heart." Axel was doing everything to avoid telling me.

I refused to get distracted. "Does my name matter? Just tell me."

"I…"

"_Axel_."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I'm sorry, Demyx."

"What is it?"

Axel finally met my eyes. He looked a little blurred around the edges. "Are you really sure you want to know?"

"…Why wouldn't I?"

"You're going to die here."

* * *

Cliffy. -makes tongue fart sound-  
I am so tired. Like, uber tired. Mega tired. I went with my school orchestra on a tour of all the elementary schools to try to convince the little buggers (I mean that _affectionately_) into playing a stringed instrument. I'm a second violin who sits all the way in the back and gets covered with the curtain occasionally. But you know. These things happen. It was a fun trip, though very tiring. Hence, I think I will fall asleep now.  
Anyway, I'm currently reading the Da Vinci Code and it's very interesting. Ever picked it up? A little hard to get into, but good.  
Oh yeah! Have any of you ever heard of _Wishing-Fire_? She- I think Wishing-Fire's a she- has made up a few writer's challenges and they're all very fun. I've never done one before, hers is really cool. The one I did is called _One Hundred Snapshots_ and it's all about Demyx. Please check it out, if you want to.

Thank you **_Dragonninja _**and _**Anna**_ for reviewing chapter eight; thanks to _**Chiaroscurist**__, The Chel, Ravenr20, _annonie _**Mystical**_, and Anna for reviewing for chapter nine.  
I'm really thankful for all your reviews guys, you know I am, but I've been getting considerably less lately. Is it because of that error? Anyway, I appreciate any and all feedback, even if they are flames. Please give me six reviews?

Next update: approx. April 14th


	11. Destruction

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

Chapter Eleven  
Destruction

"You're going to die here." The worlds rang in my ears. Heavily. Bluntly.

"He's going to kill me?" I didn't know why, but I'd clung to the vain hope that maybe he'd let me go, just because. "I'll spend my whole life here?"

"You have about a month."

"A month to… confess? So he'll let me go?" I was verging on hysteria.

"No. A month to live. Demyx…" Axel's hand was on the barrier, on top my mine like a mirror image. "You're dying right now."

Tears flooded my eyes. Somehow, I'd known. The blurred vision, the weakness, throwing up blood. "…How?"

"That syringe. It… Xemnas has this theory…" Axel trailed off.

My chest was heaving. I wanted him to stop, but I wanted him to keep telling me. I wanted to know what was happening to me.

"He says… that… he thought at first that if a Nobody got their heart back, the soul with cause the heart to deteriorate because it's so strong. See, in a human… the heart is what controls the body, but in a Nobody, the soul does… But you, you're the opposite case. The body can't live without a soul. And yours is falling apart."

"So… what did the needle do? I'd just die anyway."

"Yeah, but slowly. In years, decades, even. That needle was to… speed up the process. And the peach… I don't know what it was."

I was crying openly, trying to at least keep my tears silent.

"Demyx, I'm so sorry. If I would have found out from the beginning… I would have tried to stop him… Or something…"

I choked on a sob. "Really? Would you have? He just would have killed you too for disobeying… or… or…" It took me nearly five minutes before I could speak at all. "So I'm definitely going to die."

"…Yeah."

"There's no way they can stop this?"

"I… no. I don't think so." Axel looked almost ashamed.

"Then he won't hear anything from me." I felt psychotic. I was breathing heavily, fully hysterical. "Not a sound. He can just murder me right here."

"…I was hoping you'd say that, to be honest. I don't know what he'd do with darkness on his side…"

"But you don't want to know?" I felt strange.

"Of course I do."

"I could tell you."

He looked surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah. But then again, what happened to all the others who trusted you?" I laughed a little, humorlessly.

Maybe he was just desperate, but he stared at me. "I won't tell anyone."

"How can I take your word for it?"

"I'll get you out of here."

"If I'm just going to die, why bother?"

"Don't tell me you'd rather spend your last days in here."

I looked around for a moment or so. "True. But what would I do?"

"I don't know, that's your choice, isn't it? So is it a deal?"

Axel was probably just trying to get the information for his own selfish needs. He didn't seem too keen on letting the others know. Maybe I was just being duped.

Either way, I didn't have long. It didn't matter anymore. "…Alright." I lay down. "I'll tell you next time. I'm too tired right now."

He stood and walked through a dark corridor.

* * *

I was woken up a few hours later when Xigbar unexpectedly showed up. Normally he didn't wake me. He knew how deeply I slept.

"Kid, you've got to get up."

I blinked and stretched dazedly. "What is it?"

"The Superior wants to see you."

My mind, still half-asleep, reeled momentarily. For however long I'd been here, I hadn't seen him since the first day. Did I hear that right? "…What?"

"The Superior wants to see you. For questioning."

I stared, bemused. "…Why now? Why not weeks ago?"

He shrugged, but I could tell he was lying. Even when I'd been part of the Organization, their motives and plans made no sense to me. There had to be some _point_ in waiting so long. Maybe it was because I was so weak now, when then I would have at least had a sporting chance, had I wanted to fight.

"I'm not going," I said decisively. This couldn't have a good outcome.

"You don't have a choice." He grasped his keycard and took my wrist. "Come on."

"No." I pulled back. Stupid as I was, as long as I had a shred of will, I would hang on to it.

He grasped my shoulder. "How old are you, two?"

I tried to pull free from his grip, but his hand held on to a pressure point.

"What's the worst they could do to you?"

"That's not why I want to stay here."

"Demyx, I have my orders, I don't want to have to use force."

"It's a bit late for that, isn't it?"

He yanked me to my feet. I overbalanced and nearly fell over. The world rocked for a moment, like I was on a boat. Not like I would know the feeling. I'd never been seasick. Xigbar sighed. "Alright, there?"

"Oh, totally." Sarcasm dripped from the words. "Let's just get this over with."

* * *

Axel was sitting in the Gray Area, sprawled over the couch. He had a massive headache, and he had no idea where it came from. He saw Luxord pass by. While Axel had never truly liked the gambler, he didn't think he was a bad guy. They both seemed to be the current washouts of the Organization. "Hey, Lux. You're pretty familiar with headaches, right?"

"You mean hangovers?"

"No. Just migraines. I have one, and it's killing me."

"How's Demyx?" Luxord asked suddenly.

Axel sat up and stared at him. "Why do you ask?"

"They're going to question him."

Axel blinked. "What? Why?"

"I just heard it. Given my abilities, I can be anywhere, and nowhere, all at once." He paused. "It seems almost like you're concerned."

"I'm not," Axel said. "Really, I could care less what could happen to him."

"Then why are you going to go over there? I know you are. You've got to be careful, Axel. They'll kill you, too."

Axel hoped he meant what they'd done to Demyx already. "I can take care of myself."

"That's what they all say. On a different note…" He pulled a pill out of his pocket. "Take this. It should help." And with that, Luxord was gone.

Axel studied the pill in his hand for a moment, and after a few moments deliberation, decided not to take it.

He walked down the hall at a brisk pace. _Where would they take him? Is this just a setup? _The first place he thought to check was Xemnas's office. _What would they do to him? They're cutting up his soul into little bits. I don't think they'd do something so logical as ask questions._

He paused for a second. Really, why did he care? Was it because Demyx was Axel's only way to humanity? But Axel had stopped thinking about becoming human long ago.

He blamed it on Roxas. Roxas would have helped him, he thought, even though he knew on a logical level that Roxas had disliked him as well. What about Sora? Was it because Demyx was his only tie to Sora now, and thus, to Roxas?

Did it matter that he cared? Did he need a reason?

How would he find Demyx?

Axel rounded a corner. In all the years he'd been here, he still didn't care for navigating the place, especially since everything looked almost exactly the same.

Maybe they did that for a reason, he thought. So we would never be tempted to explore. But all that did was make us better at hiding things.

Axel found himself at an intersection. He was trying to figure out where to turn when he saw a shadow, like the reflection of color on white. Axel raised an eyebrow and went down this hallway, and found himself confronted with what appeared to be wooden paneling.

What is this? He thought. Someone's hidey-hole? He'd never known there to be any decoration in the castle. Axel looked around quickly and spotted Saïx standing in front of a door, staring at him.

The Diviner looked towards him. "I didn't know it would come to this, Axel," he said calmly.

"You can't just do this to him," Axel said suddenly, not sure where the worlds were from. "It's wrong, Saïx, he didn't do anything to deserve this!"

"I used to think you gravitated towards traitors because you wanted to destroy them."

"That's true. I did help kill them at Castle Oblivion. I did that to help you."

"What he knows can help us. For someone who pretended to be so loyal, you would think he would share with us."

"He's _Demyx_. He's just a kid. How can he figure that out? Now, Saïx, if you were in the same situation, you wouldn't say a word, now would you?"

In an instant, Saïx had him pressed against the wall. Axel didn't so much as move.

"Come on, you know it's true. You guys are so crazy to get this information out of him that you didn't realize the obvious; _Xemnas has been lying this whole time_. Maybe that's why he's trying to destroy Demyx. To keep us from rebelling. Maybe you don't care, considering you think you don't need a heart, but what about the others? They care. They could take you two down. Kingdom Hearts isn't the answer to our solutions. I know that. He's just using it for power, Saïx! What are you going to do? Overthrow him?

"I don't understand any of this at all," he said after a breath. "You guys pretend to be a unit, yet you hate each other. You agree to everything he says, and let him rule us all, but you want to overthrow him. I don't think you can do it."

Saïx's hand was a blur. Axel felt something stab into his shoulder, and before he blacked out, he spat, "You know I'm right."

* * *

The room and hallway were darker than I'd ever seen them. I was so used to just plain whiteness in the castle; seeing color and other material was almost shocking.

The hallway was paneled and wooden, but it didn't have the same warm feel as if it were actual wood. What _was_ this place? Why were they bringing me here? They said questioning, but I wondered if maybe they were just going to execute me. I couldn't say I really cared. Sure, I existed now, but I was falling to pieces quite literally, and I didn't have time to think about what I wanted, let alone get it. Death might just be easy, a nice, long, restful sleep. It had been a while since I woke up refreshed.

I didn't struggled against Xigbar anymore as he led me down the hall. He didn't say anything, which was unusual for him.

At the end of the hallway was Saïx, standing in front of the door. He stood on my other side as the door opened automatically.

This must be exactly as real prisoners feel.

Inside the room, it was small and rather dark. There were no lamps, but I could see well enough. There was a table, and two chairs at the table. Xemnas was sitting in one, looking as calm as always.

"Have a seat, Nine," he said conversationally.

He'd hurt me so much. Why was he acting nice? I obliged, and realized that I was graced by almost the entire Organization, aside from Axel and Luxord. Axel had told me Xaldin was killed. If it weren't for him, I'd be healthy right now.

"Put your hands on the table," Xemnas said in a neutral voice.

I wondered why, but knew better than to question it. Xigbar and Saïx stood next to the door like members of an army. I obeyed this time, too, and felt my silver bracelet latch onto something invisible, like magnets. I should have expected this.

"How are you feeling?" Xemnas asked.

I wish I had someone to look to. Enemies surrounded me. Did I have to answer honestly? "…I've been better," I finally said.

"Did you like the peach?" He smiled a little, the meanest smile I'd ever seen.

"I appreciate the thought, but not whatever that was in it."

"I'm guessing… your stay has been less than satisfactory."

I pause. I didn't want to say something that would make him vault over the table. "Actually, it's been okay. You know, aside from the fact that I'm permanently sick and can't leave."

"I thought as much." He actually stretches a little. I'd never seen Xemnas do something so informal, so… ordinary. "Can I just ask you a few things?"

"That's why you brought me here, and why you're holding me down with this metal thing."

"…I don't want this to be… unpleasant."

I beg to differ.

"Tell me… how long had you known what you do about hearts before you became human?"

"I didn't know at all."

"But you do now?" His eyes bore into mine.

Here's where things would get difficult. "…Yes."

He stared at me so weirdly. "Why didn't you tell us as soon as you knew?"

"Because you tried to kill me when you asked me the first time."

He laughed a little. "I think you're exaggerating."

"You held a _blade_ to my_ neck_."

"And then Axel saved you."

I leaned back as far as I could with my trapped wrist. "I suppose so. What I want to know… why didn't you question me first thing?"

"You would have fought."

"Why do you want to be human?"

"I believe I'm the one asking questions, Nine."

"My name is Demyx," I snapped. "I'm not a part of this Organization anymore. I'm not a Nobody! I'm just trying to figure out who I am and where I belong. You should know that I'm not clever enough to betray you guys. Why did you do this to me?"

He took a deep breath. "You are weak. Very weak."

I sat up a bit straighter.

"I'd never seen a heart like yours before, way back when. We've met. You were very young."

My voice was very soft. "How can I believe that?"

"You were a little boy in Japan," he said calmly. "You'd lost your mother. An old woman let you wait in her fish stall, but didn't help you because you weren't Asian. I met you- actually, my Somebody did. Your heart was pure light, something that's not only rare, but also rare in boys especially. I saw the potential you had. So I cast a charm on you."

I paused. There was no way that this was a lie- I did remember that time. I'd been only three or four years old. A man with silver hair had confronted me, asked me what was wrong. Why was everything suddenly surreal? What was he going to say next? "What kind of charm?"

"Darkness," he stated simply. "That was the only thing that would make you stronger. I'd intended to make you my servant. But you've disobeyed. I've made you what you are, Nine. I can just as easily destroy that."

"Well, take a good look at me. I'm sure I'm not what you wanted."

"That's the problem."

"What now, then?"

He cocked his head to the side. "If you don't tell me what you know, I will kill you." He gestured to the corner of the room. "I'll kill him, too."

I looked over with a renewed state of fear. Axel lay in the corner, unconscious with bound wrists. "What? …No! You can't do this!"

"But I already have," Xemnas continued. "It's easy, Nine. The peace of the World, or you and your friend."

* * *

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry this chapter is so late. The original chapter eleven was so much different, and after a few scans, I can't say I like it. I like this storyline better. What do you think of Xemnas? I think he's much more evil. XD

I do think that the little reference to Demyx's past and them meeting is too rushed and sudden, but it'll come up again in more detail.

So Demyx has a choice to make. Anyway, does anyone have a Twitter? I only have one to follow someone on deviantART. Apparently I have two followers, though. If you have a Twitter, say hi. I'll sub you if you sub me. The screen name is RixelandAoxis. It's an inside joke. XD

Next update: April 21st

Thank you _**Chiaroscurist, The Chel, Ravenr20, Zemby, Dragginninja**_ (I spelt your name wrong last time, sorry), annonie _**Mystical**_, and Anna for reviewing last chapter. I'd like six reviews again this time, if you can manage it :)


	12. Break

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

Chapter Twelve

Break

I just stared at him for a few minutes in a state of disbelief. Everything felt unreal- this whole day, this whole life. I glanced at Axel and was surprised to see him beginning to stir.

"Which will you choose?" Xemnas said simply.

"You can kill me," I murmured. "But leave him alone. He has nothing to do with this."

"See, that's the problem," he continued. "You're nearly dead right now. If I killed only you, that would get me nowhere, and it would be far too easy."

"If killing me is getting you nowhere, then why did you poison me?"

"Because you stayed silent. It's a vivacious cycle, Nine. If you had just spoken in the first place…"

"Maybe I had considered trying, but you jumped to the conclusion that I betrayed you." I paused. "I can't do it now. I don't know what you'll do."

"Don't amuse me by trying to be noble," Xemnas scoffed. "We all know just how cowardly and selfish you are."

"I was. Maybe I still am. But giving you this information isn't the right thing." I took a deep breath.

"What about your friend's life?"

I knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to force me into a decision. "Why do you want a heart so badly, Xemnas?" I asked in a low voice.

He thought a long moment.

Xigbar crossed his arms. "Is that a hypothetical question?" He asked me.

I couldn't think of anything to say. Would things work out? Would Xemnas maybe consider releasing me, doubting why he even started to chase after darkness in the first place? I doubted it.

In the corner, Axel propped himself up on an elbow. He had a cut on his forehead that was bleeding heavily. Saïx tensed.

"It's the darkness," Xemnas finally said. "It devours hearts, and hearts are born from it anew. If I could just learn to harness that darkness once again…"

I thought as much.

"I could destroy the worlds, and rebuild them as they were fated to be… And it all hinges on you."

"You're insane." Axel glared at him. "You're downright insane."

Our heads snapped towards him.

"What will being able to rule all the worlds accomplish?" He asked, trying to stand up. "_Nothing_. What will gaining access to Kingdom Hearts do? _Nothing_." He summoned a weapon with one hand. "Let it go, Xemnas. You're setting yourself on a path to destruction."

Xemnas stood up, too. "You're hurt."

I couldn't tell what would happen from here on. I was confused and stressed. What was happening? Would I just go back to my cell? Would he kill Axel and I?

I didn't know if I could sacrifice him. My life was almost nothing to me now. After all, I was dying. It didn't matter what happened to me now. But Axel was different. He was alive. He might probably become human. He had a chance.

If the situation wasn't so tense, I guess I would probably then go on to think about personal developments and how much I changed.

I looked to Axel and to Xemnas and back again. "What are you doing?" I asked him. "We're not getting anywhere."

Xemnas smiled. "Yes, that's right. So, Nine, have you made your decision?"

I turned to Axel, standing up and nearly getting pulled down again by the bracelet. "Axel, please kill me! Now!"

Axel stared at me, confused. "…What?"

"Please! Xigbar! One of you, kill me!"

Saïx grabbed me and pulled hard enough to snap the silver bracelet and what felt like my wrist, too. I could feel the blood start to pool. "What are you talking about?"

"Demyx…" Xigbar began, a look of understanding on his face. He summoned one of his guns. I nodded. He knew what I was trying to accomplish.

"Demyx! What are you doing?" Axel asked, looking panicked.

"I was given a choice," I whispered. "He would kill you and I, or if I told him, he would set us both free… I can't let him have this knowledge. So if Xigbar kills me… I'm sorry, Axel."

Xigbar nodded solemnly, and ever so slightly began to squeeze the trigger.

Many things happened all at once. Saïx threw me to the ground. Xigbar's shot missed and bounced across the room, nearly striking Axel, who blocked at the last second. Saïx leapt up and whipped out his claymore.

"Two," he hissed at Xigbar.

The other weapon appeared in the Freeshooter's other hand. "Bring it on."

Xemnas stood still, a look of growing rage on his face. He held up one hand. The others stared as if in fear. I could still feel the warm blood running into my hand.

Tendrils of pure nothingness exploded from his palm, flying directly towards Xigbar. Xigbar turned to teleport, but was grabbed by Saïx at the last minute. Axel threw a chakram towards him to block against the attack. While that saved our ally, Saïx twitched his hand, which caused his claymore to bump into the flying weapon and screw up its flight, and instead of going straight back into Axel's hand, it first sank deep into my upper arm.

The pain was incredible. I thought I'd stopped feeling pain after a while, but I guess I was wrong. Hot red splotches covered my eyes. I didn't even scream. I heard the sharp snap of bone. Someone grabbed me from below the arms, snagging my wound. I nearly cried out. More tendrils of nothingness flew at us.

Something cold poked into my neck. Axel's chakram. It served as both a threat and a shield.

"Do it," I whispered. "Please, Axel, kill me."

Axel said nothing to me, just stared Xemnas down. Saïx was still holding on to Xigbar.

"I'm going to set the room on fire," he told me so they wouldn't hear. "Take a deep breath."

"Axel, no, please. Don't do this. If you just kill me, they have no reason…"

"Shut up, Demyx. You're going to live. Whether you want to or not."

I closed my eyes and took a breath.

The fire was sudden and explosive. It didn't start slowly- it was just there, all around us, menacing heat. It ate up the paneling nicely. I saw, just before Axel dragged me through a dark corridor, the other three escape.

"I'm going to have to leave you," he told me. "Demyx, just run. Find help for yourself. You didn't deserve this."

Then he was gone, and I found myself in the rain.

The only color I could really see was gray. Gray stone, gray sky, gray rain. Water poured from the sky heavy enough to soak almost immediately.

I stumbled along weakly, clutching my wounded arm. I couldn't believe he'd done that. Why didn't he just kill me? Everything would be resolved if the information died with me.

I was in tears. The pain in my arm was absolutely agonizing. The blood ran bright red for a moment before dissolving in the rain. I was weakening, quickly. I hadn't lost so much blood in a long time. Not to mention, I was sick. That didn't help.

I recognized, feebly, that I was in Hollow Bastion, in the market square. How had he known to send me here? Was it maybe coincidence?

My sight was dimming. Tears ran hot for a moment before cooling and getting washed away. For some reason, I was freaking out.

Am I really going to die from a broken arm? I thought. Yet it felt like the weapon had sliced some major veins. The blood was pooling in frightening amounts.

Dizziness was drawing in. I tried to keep walking, towards at least a home where someone could help me, but it wasn't long before I dropped to my knees and blacked out entirely.

* * *

A voice. Where have I heard it before?

"…He…llo…?"

Broken up, like crappy cell phone service.

"He…llo?"

It was a girl's voice. That much I knew. What was a girl doing in the rain? What was anyone doing out here?

"Myde?"

That name? Unconsciousness was clamping down.

"Myde?"

* * *

For the longest time I drifted. There was no real room for thought, just the darkness.

I was woken up a few times by a woman's voice. She pressed a cup to my lips and told me that I would feel better if I drank it. The liquid was kind of sweet and syrupy.

I slept heavily. I hadn't been awake long enough to figure out what was going on, but from the type of sleep I knew I'd been hurt, and badly.

A long time passed. Whether it was a few hours or some days, I couldn't tell.

I woke up, for the first real time, in a room I couldn't recognize. I felt dazed and confused, mostly because the walls I saw weren't the same white ones I was used to. The room was small and kind of dark. A lit lantern was on a shelf and burning dully. There were a few cupboards and some colored bottles on shelves. A basin of water was nearby with a towel hanging off it.

I was lying on a sort of cot. I still felt weak, but it felt like the kind of weakness that stayed behind after a fever broke. My arm had been healed. I propped myself up on an elbow, wondering what I should do now.

Who had found me? I owed them my life. If I hadn't been healed, I might have actually bled to death.

What happened to Axel and Xigbar? Axel escaped, true, but where was he now? And Xigbar… if he hadn't gotten away already, he had to have been branded as a traitor and killed, or worse.

I lay back. Despite the fact that I had just slept for days, I still felt weak and exhausted. Maybe the rain had given me a fever. Ironic. I remembered when I could call on the rain for extra strength.

Would I ever be normal again? Obviously not. If I hadn't been lied to, I was dying right now. But if they had lied to me… if I was just weak… would my powers ever come back in full? I could never imagine having that tie to water severed, or worse, not being able to ever summon my sitar again.

"Oh, you're awake."

I'd been so lost in thought that I hadn't noticed someone enter the room.

It was Aerith, Sora's friend. That's right… I had heard him mention something about her being a white mage. Still, she was the last person I expected to see. She smiled. "You look shocked, Myde, is something wrong?"

Why wasn't she interrogating me? Hadn't Sora noticed I was missing, and if the crew here hadn't noticed I wasn't with them anymore, why wasn't she wondering where Sora was? "I'm… I'm sorry," I told her, burrowing in the blankets.

Aerith looked surprised. "What for?" She felt my forehead. "Good, your fever's broken. We were worried…"

Why were they worried about me? "I'm grateful you helped me… but why?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know… I'm just really confused right now…"

She sat on the edge of the cot. "How so?"

"Well, I'm surprised you're not mad at me. For disappearing. I could have gone back to them and exposed you all, and yet you helped me."

"I don't think you would do that."

"Thanks. You'd be the first."

"How's your arm?" She asked.

"It's fine now, actually. I thought I was a goner."

"It was more than a little surprising when Yuffie found you. Sora was worried, actually. Especially when he found that card."

"What card?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"He said he found a card with a Nobody insignia on it… He figured they kidnapped you."

"Well, they did."

"Then how did you get away?"

"A friend helped me, at the last minute… It's a long story."

"Right. And you probably still don't feel too well. Get some rest, okay?"

My last thought before I fell asleep was _why is she being so nice to me?_

* * *

There was glass in my dream, lots of it.

The area I was in was dark, the kind of dark that can't be pierced with any kind of light. I walked forward, stepping on the broken glass. In this dream, I was still wounded. Blood dripped onto the glass, creating an odd matrix of color.

I could see eyes in the glass, staring at me. There were all kinds of eyes- masculine, feminine, brown, blue, gray, green, violet. They all looked as if they were asking me something.

"What is it?" I shouted at them. "What do you want?"

But they couldn't speak- they were only eyes.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to them. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you want!"

All of a sudden, the glass beneath me shattered, and I fell into darkness.

* * *

I sat bolt upright, covered in an odd cold sweat.

What the hell had that been?

"Are you okay?" A voice asked me.

It was just Yuffie, Sora's friend. She was holding onto a shuriken and was wearing a raincoat. Was it _still_ raining? "Yeah… I'm fine. Just… an odd dream, is all."

She came and stood next to me. "You've had a fever for the past few days," she told me. "I couldn't believe it was you when I saw you… Sora was really wondering where you went."

"I'm sorry," I told her. "I'm kind of confused about it myself."

"Like how?"

"I don't know. A lot of things have been happening lately that have made me doubt reality." I looked up at her. Her eyes were brown. They'd been the ones that appeared most in my dream.

"They kidnapped you, right? That's what Aerith said."

"…Yeah."

She didn't ask me how I got away, like I expected. "I hope you're okay. We'd been hoping that you hadn't gone back to them."

I smiled weakly. "Trust me, that's the last thing I'd do."

"Good." She grinned too. "I'll see you soon, then, I guess? I have patrol now."

"Yeah. Have fun."

"I always do."

I watched her leave the room. That was nice. She didn't have to come in here.

Yet again, I asked myself what was going on. I was so used to the world doubting me, or stepping on me, or blaming on me.

Would I really get my life back? It seemed too impossible.

* * *

KOMENASAIKOMENASAIKOMENASAI! I can't believe I forgot to post yesterday! What is wrong with me? True, it is spring break, and every day feels the same... but really guys, I'm sorry. -Grovels-

For some reason I get the idea that this chapter is going to be really disappointing XP. I like it, it was fun to write, but it feels like I missed a point that I wanted to state. I hate when I'm writing and have a good idea, then get distracted for a second and WHAM it's gone.  
Also, please check out my response to Wishing-Fire's challenge, called **One Hundred Snapshots. **The whole thing is about Demyx :) I've only posted two prompts so far though.  
For everone who celebrates, Happy Belated Passover (is that how you say it?) and Happy Easter. And have a good spring break if you're on that as well :).

Thank you _**Phantom Hunter of the Soul, Chiaroscurist, The Chel, Ravenr20, SoraIsMyHomeboy, The Moon's Berserk, The Ninja and the Writer,**_ annonie _**Mystical**_, and Anna for reviewing last chapter.  
Next update: April 28th (approx)


	13. Moving On

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

Chapter Thirteen  
Moving On

It was a challenge just getting out of bed. I'd been sick these past few days, too weak to really do anything other than sleep.

I took a few shaky steps. I'd probably be fine in a few days, of course.

Would I still be here in a few days?

What would I do now? Now that I was finally away from the Organization, I had a choice to make. The Restoration Committee obviously had some form of compassion/pity for me, seeing as they'd helped me.

Both Yuffie and Aerith had said that Sora was worried. That was shocking. I had been pretty much useless as an ally, and we hadn't even really talked. Maybe he was just that kind of person.

Maybe I should wait for him. I wasn't ready to face Xemnas again, of course, but at least I could see him. It would be nice to know how he was doing.

My cloak was hanging on a peg on the wall. Whoever had found me put it there. I wore clothes under it; of course- they provided extra warmth.

I couldn't convince myself to put it back on, though. To me, that cloak was just bad news, and bad times. I didn't need it to stay warm anymore. It was nearly summer. I had no excuses anymore to put it back in.

I pulled on my shoes and went out the door.

I recognized this room almost instantly- it was the main room of Merlin's house. Cid was at his computer, typing away. Merlin was absent, as always. Everyone else was gone, aside from Aerith, who appeared to be sewing something.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"My ribbon was fraying," she told me, and smiled.

"Can't you just have gotten a new one?"

She shook her head and looked down, as if keeping a secret. "No, this one's special."

Cid looked up. "Kid," he said to me finally. "It's about time."

I stood there for a moment.

Aerith tied off a piece of string. "You can sit down, you know."

I sat across from her at the table.

"Do you want anything to eat?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks."

She tied the ribbon back in her hair. "You're uncomfortable, aren't you?"

"Why do you say that?"

She shrugged.

"I'm not, honestly. It's just that… why are you guys being so nice to me? I randomly disappear and end up with the enemy. I'm surprised you guys don't think I exposed you." I crossed my arms.

"I won't say I didn't think of that," Cid admitted. "Besides, you don't have much information on us. Why do you say something like that? _Are_ you still with them?"

"No." I looked down. "Of course not. Why would I be?"

He turned back to his computer. "Don't know. Why would you?" It was a hypothetical question at this point.

I walked over and leaned against the dais. "They wanted me to tell them how to become human. What I don't really get, though, is that they first tried to kill me when I was brought back to them, before I met Sora- and now they really want this. Something must have gone wrong."

"…Like how?" Aerith asked.

"I don't know. But suddenly they wouldn't stop at anything to…" I paused. Panic was starting to build. What would he do to them to get to me? "I have to leave! You guys could get hurt!"

They both stared at me.

"Myde, it's okay," Aerith said, reaching down and putting a hand on my shoulder. "I doubt they'll be able to find the world you're on, much less you. There are billions of humans."

Had they maybe put a tracker in my cloak? "Wait a second." I went back into the other room and came back carrying the coat. "This could have a tracker in it," I told Cid. "We've got to get rid of it." I'd had that bracelet, sure. But the Organization had a tendency to over prepare when it came to me.

He took the coat and set it aside. "I'll look over it later. If it had a tracker in it, odds would be they would have found you already. It's been two days, kid."

I relaxed and sat back down. "Thank you," I said. "For trusting me."

* * *

For a long while, I sat and watched Cid and Aerith go about their day. Merlin was, as always, out somewhere, dealing with matters that 'had to do with world order' or 'conferring with Masters.' By 'Masters' I found out, they meant Keyblade Masters.

Huh. Were they old wizards, like him?

The day was perfectly boring. Cid worked on his computer, with blueprints and programming and the claymore system. It seemed like a lot of work for so little to do.

Aerith was different. She sold flower seeds and fertilizer, and also a was healer. She was the kind of person you had to know of to get to- she didn't advertise at all. "The work just comes to me," she told me.

Later in the afternoon, she took me with her on errands, considering I hadn't done anything all day, and I really shouldn't, according to her, because I was still recovering.

I was still in a state of shock, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing anymore. I was around people that not only tolerated me, and even better, seemed to trust me. I wondered how long it would take to hit me- I was safe, I was free, and I was human. I could finally continue on with my life. No one would ever force me to intertwine with the Organization again.

Yet something still nagged me. I felt so much better, but what was happening to my soul? Was what Xemnas told Axel (and Axel told me) a lie? Was I really poisoned? I hadn't tried using my powers yet, or even summoning my sitar. I had been advised to take it easy when it came to magic, and I obliged, after having been short-circuited and stalled for so long.

Sora had dropped by once or twice to speak with the committee during the time I was gone. He usually did, Aerith told me, to gather supplies, drop information he gathered, and get information in return, and did this once every three weeks or so.

"He's been asking about you, like if we've seen you," she told me, counting out a few munny and handing them over to a Moogle. "I think he knew you were taken."

"He was so nice," I said. "He took me in, when he had every right to assume I was still with them. He heard me out."

"He's very intuitive. I don't think he saw you as evil. You've got a very pure heart."

How do you respond to that? Is it a sort of compliment, or a statement? "Um… thanks?"

She beamed. "Yuffie's also been worried about you, for some reason. She's not normally so quiet or contrite. Cid would say it's a pleasant change, but I'm not too sure… make sure and tell her you're okay, alright, Myde?"

I wasn't quite sure if I was okay myself. Sure, I felt happy, but I didn't want that to be ruined by worry. …Was I still falling apart?

And another thing. I'd just let them call me Myde, not bothering to correct them. What was my name? Who was I? One thing was for sure, I wanted to drop that name and all the hurt that it entailed. But was I Demyx, lazy, selfish, and inconsiderate?

…I could change. I could be anyone I wanted now, no set rules. No one would want me to be different. My name was still new. All I'd have to do was wring it dry, change the opinions of the people I knew and mold the thoughts of the ones I'd just met.

I bobbed my head in response to her question. "Yeah… I'm fine. Just thinking."

"You seem to be doing an awful lot of that."

"It's a big change." I hiked a bag higher up my arm. I had chosen to come along- so I had to help. Oddly enough, I didn't care. I should have, even though it was something as stupid and simple as carrying bags. "I wonder what Sora will think."

She stared at me. "That was out of the blue. What do you mean?"

I shrugged. "I still don't get why you guys buy my story."

"I'm guessing you're a bad liar." She shrugged, too. "Seems like your type."

"I don't know if he'll get it, too. I wonder if he still wants me to help him fight." Or if I want to help him.

"You don't have to worry about it yet. What will happen will happen. We should get back. It's almost dinnertime."

When we got back, Yuffie and Leon were there, too. Leon nodded once in my direction. Aerith set down the grocery bags and went over to him. Yuffie came over to me.

"Myde! How are you?"

"I'm much better." I could feel a blush creeping on, for some reason. "How was patrol?"

She shrugged. "Same as usual. Boring. At least it wasn't raining. It's been doing that a lot lately."

"Does it usually?"

"Sometimes, in spring. It's spring now."

"Is it?" Sometimes, it felt like I was locked in one season. Not quite winter, not quite summer, but not pretty enough or bright enough to be spring. "Can I tell you something?"

She looked confused. "Sure."

"My name's not Myde."

Yuffie seemed to think I was joking. "Well, then, what is it?"

"…Demyx. I just didn't want to hang onto that name anymore…"

She looked down. "Because of the pain attached to it, huh?"

I almost had to strain my ears. "Yeah… but I'm better now, okay? I can forget."

She smiled. "It reminds me of what Squall did. When… when the Heartless invaded this world the first time, he blamed himself for the world falling to darkness. He made a few new resolutions, and changed his name to Leon."

I blinked, and looked to Leon. He and Aerith were chatting away.

"He's much happier than he used to be, though. I think it's because of the progress we've made when it comes to putting our world back together."

"…That's good. That you guys are like this, I mean. Friends." I decided to take the plunge. "You call him Squall. Will I always be… Myde in your eyes?"

She touched my arm. "Only if you want to be."

We stayed in silence for a few beats. I was red in the face.

"I'm glad I'm here," I said decisively. "I like you guys. You know… you're like the first friend I've ever had."

"Really? You've never, ever had another friend?"

If she counted Axel and Xigbar. Axel and I had joined up to survive, and Xigbar had at last tried to help me stop Xemnas. But were they friends? And it was pretty definite that all kids my age hated me when I was younger. "… In a way, yes. I'm not used to being liked or even tolerated. And I don't mean that to be depressing. It's the truth, and I'm different now. The whole world is open to me." I laughed a little. "I'm sorry. It's all a little overwhelming."

Yuffie shrugged. "I like your babbling."

"…When did you meet everyone here?" I asked. "I know almost nothing about it."

Yuffie opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off.

"Guys! Dinner!"

"…That was fast," she said. "Normally, they struggle a lot longer. Aerith and Squall argue. Aerith can't cook for anything, and doesn't realize it." We laughed. "I'll tell you about it later, okay?"

Dinner was easy. I felt more at comfortable around everyone now, and they me. We talked for hours, again about nothing. I guess friends acted like this.

I still felt a bit shocked with the change in things. I had gone from being sick and surrounded by people who hated me to feeling better and being around people I liked. I felt confident about my friendship with Yuffie. I felt confident that I had cheated death, and I was finally going to be fine now.

After the dishes were dealt with, Yuffie and I went outside. "Such a nice afternoon," she said, stretching. "I'm so tired."

I yawned. "Yeah, what time is it?"

"Dunno. I don't have a watch."

"Oh well." I looked up. "Hey… the sun is setting."

"Let's go up there!" She said. "Maybe you can see the light reflect on the water."

"…Water?"

She grabbed my hand, pulled me up the stairs, and leaned on the wall. "Look! You can just barely see it."

I squinted. "Is that the ocean?"

She smiled. "Uh-huh!"

It had been so long since I'd been to the beach. "All the way out here?"

"Beyond the stone. It seems out of place, I know. I haven't been in years."

I walked towards the fence, touched it with one hand. "If only this fence wasn't here…"

"…I know."

I went back over and sat next to her. "Wow. We should go one day, this summer."

"So you're staying?"

I smiled and nodded. "I want to."

"…That would be fun," she said in a soft voice, and then she laughed. She had such a nice laugh. "I used to practically live there when I was little. We'd rent a cottage there, and just play in the water, all day long. I miss those days."

"I know what you mean." I turned to her. "Maybe this year."

"Yeah."

Silence again.

She breathed in deep. "If I breathe deeply, I can kind of smell it."

I closed my eyes. "I haven't been there in years, either."

She looked over, and our eyes locked for at least a full minute. I flushed bright red, glad that the sunset partially disguised it. It was starting to get dark now.

"…We should get home," I said. "Before it gets too late."

"…Right! You need someplace to stay." She paused. "The owner of a boarding house owes me a favor. You could probably stay on for free."

…She'd do that for me? "Thank you…" I felt unexpectedly grateful.

"Let's go. You're right. The Heartless get vicious if anyone stays out on the streets for too long." She took my hand. "This way."

As we walked, I couldn't help but think of the handholding. My face was bright red. I wasn't sure about hers, in the darkness. Was she usually like this? Did friends hold hands, especially those of the opposite sex?

Yeah, if they were like six.

We parted ways only a few minutes later, after Yuffie spoke to the manager. He was happy to let me stay as payment to her. Sitting in my new room, hand still feeling like it was burning slightly from where she touched it; I only had one train of thought.

Could I be falling in love?

* * *

Something about this chapter doesn't flow right :/  
What did you think of the interactions between Demyx and Yuffie? Be honest with me, I really want to know. :)  
This past week has just flown! Even though it's been really hot and ungainly. XD Before we know it, it'll be summer and time to sleep in.  
Not sure if I said so in the last AN, but I finished BBS. It's a really good game, if you haven't played it. I thought I wouldn't like it, but I was surprised. Good gameplay, nice storyline, even the overall feel is nice, even if it doesn't really achieve much according to the storyline of the series.  
Check out my deviantART! My username there is **Princess-of-Rose.** I've got the two first chapters of this posted there. I'd also really like to see you guys there.

Thank you _**The Chel, Ravenr20, The Ninja and the Writer, SoraIsMyHomeboy, The Moon's Berserk, Chairoscurist, AsianTwinkiesFTW, **_annonie _**Mystical,**_ and Anna for reviewing last chapter. I really love you guys and thanks for your support. :D

Next update: Approx. May 5th


	14. Patrol

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, just the plotline of this story.**

Chapter Fourteen  
Patrol

No, I thought quickly, clutching my hand to my chest. Of course I wasn't. I'd never had a real friend, much less a girlfriend. Maybe I was just over thinking things, that the small show of love was really nothing more than platonic.

I felt like we had a connection. It was just so easy to talk to Yuffie. I didn't have to struggle to find words at all. I didn't have to worry about saying the wrong thing.

I barely just met her. I looked at my hand again. It didn't look burnt. The skin tingled ever so slightly.

I leaned back on the bed. Love or not, it would still be fun being around my friend. I had time now, anyway, to find out what my real feelings were.

Yes, everything was finally falling into place, and it only took nineteen years.

* * *

The next day, when I got up, I found a note on the bedside table.

_Demyx,_

_Came to wake you up, but you were sleeping so deeply. Meet me at Merlin's when you get this._

_-Yuffie_

I smiled a little and set the note aside. I got dressed and went down to Merlin's, like she said.

I found her there, playing absently with what looked like marbles. She quickly stuffed them in her pockets.

"Hey! It's about time!" She grinned.

"Sorry. Thanks for waiting up for me."

"No real problem. You would have been stuck here alone all day." She gestured to the vacated room. "Aerith and Cid went down to the lab today."

"…The lab?"

"Yeah. We discovered that Ansem the Wise- he was once our world ruler- had a lab there. We still can't figure out how to get into the system. You and I might go down there later, but we've got patrol first."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What happened to this guy?"

She frowned. "…I'm not sure. He vanished right after our world was invaded, and hasn't come back since."

"…Oh."

Yuffie grabbed a small bag and hitched it over her shoulder. "If you're ready, let's go." We walked out into the streets. "Patrol is pretty easy. All I usually do is walk around town, and if any Heartless show up, I take them out. It can get kinda tedious, but whatever."

We'd be fighting? Well, what else would we be doing on patrol, after all? I'd never been very strong. I was supposedly healthy now, but being in isolation and not really doing much over the past few months couldn't help me. And considering it was better for me not to use magic right now…

She noticed my expression. "What's wrong? Can you fight?"

"Yeah… Just not… well." I flushed. "I just hope I'm not useless."

Yuffie shrugged. "You're not useless. At least I'll have someone to talk to."

We went further into town. Yuffie talked for a moment to a set of triplets who, it turned out, were Donald's nephews. The World was small, after all. From there, we went into the deeper, less populated part of town.

I did end up having to try and fight. I had no doubt that Yuffie could more than hold her own, if Leon trusted her to be on patrol, but I didn't want to be a burden. Summoning a weapon was easy enough, but trying to get it to do something was another thing entirely. I could still play the notes on my sitar perfectly, but the water didn't seem to respond as well, as if it was tired and didn't feel up to fighting for me. That meant my strongest asset was shot.

Physical strength was another thing. I'd known I was weak, but I didn't know I was _this_ weak. I was used to my sitar's weight, of course, but given that I couldn't control water, I had to actually hit stuff with it, and it wouldn't make a good melee weapon in the best possible situation.

Thankfully, Yuffie was able to take up my slack. I felt embarrassed, not because she was a girl and was stronger than me, but because I'd reached a whole new level of pathetic. She blamed my weakness on inexperience and lack of exercise. "You'll see. In a week or two, you'll be able to take these guys, easily."

I smiled. She was only trying to cheer me up. "Thanks, Yuffie. I only wish I could be of more use."

"You want a job? Here." She tossed the small bag to me. "That's our lunch. Take good care of it."

I blinked. She had a pouch on her hip that she kept her weapon in, so it had to have been magically altered, considering the pouch's size. "…Why not put the stuff in there?"

She fingered the pouch. "Oh, this?" Yuffie laughed. "It's not a good idea. Everything other than my shuriken gets lost in this void. We'd never be able to find it again. Trust me, I learnt the hard way." She paused. "I kind of envy you, you know. You can just summon your weapon out of nowhere."

"Trust me, the payment for that skill is not worth it."

She raised an eyebrow.

I sighed. "I only learnt when I became a Nobody. I think being human is worth it."

Yuffie looked away. "…I don't mean to be pushy, but… what was it like, being one of them?"

I frowned. "It's weird," I mumbled. "That time seems both distant and vivid, you know? It was… kind of..." I laughed awkwardly and took a breath. "You just feel _nothing_. The whole time, emotion is just an empty void. There's no happiness, but there's no sadness, either. You just try to survive, that's it. And the emotionless-ness kind of takes away your conscience. A lot of them fell to evil. I wasn't excellent myself, but I tried not to do anyone harm while keeping myself alive. Nobodies are really just selfish, instinctive creatures."

She exhaled. "…Huh."

"I was only sixteen when I became one of them," I continued, kind of seeing it in my mind's eye. "The Heartless invaded my world. They found me… and they took my heart. Next thing I know, a guy in a black coat is taking me away. They were all very… surprised at how young I was. They supposed I was a prodigy. But I wasn't. I disappointed them, and that disappointment was only added to when they discovered my weapon was an instrument. So they left me alone and waited for someone better to come along.

"I was always kind of the underdog. No one really liked me, and I lived up to that. I was lazy, cowardly. I guess I did kind of change. Physically, I grew up, but I really remained the same. Three years passed, I became human. Things are a lot different now."

She squeezed my hand. "Well, _we_ like you. The committee. Aerith does, and Cid thinks you're all right. Leon's feelings are at least neutral. And I'm your friend."

I smiled. "I know. And I'm happy."

Yuffie bit her lip. "They're going to want to question you, you know. Now that you're here for an undetermined amount of time, they want to know what you know about the Organization. And I think you should tell them."

"I will, I promise." And I would. They had a right to know. My information would most likely be useless, but if they wanted it, why not. Unlike my imprisonment, here I felt safe, comfortable. "Yuffie… you never did tell me. How did you meet everyone here?"

She stared at me. "It's kind of a long story. It's a bit complicated."

"That's okay."

She took a deep breath. "Okay. I was born on this world called the Planet, in a country called Wutai. My father was one of their leaders. I can't really remember much from that time, only that we were kind of at war; only it never really reached me. I was a happy kid. One night, though, there was a terrible fire, or some sort of massacre, something that hit our small community. My father grabbed me and ran. We came here, to Hollow Bastion, while it was still under Ansem the Wise's rule.

"He put me in school nearly right away. The language in Wutai is actually similar to Japanese, so I didn't speak much English. I met Aerith on the first day. She was six years older than me, but we were neighbors and had met once before. We became friends almost right away. She helped me learn English so well that I forgot my Japanese.

"I also met Squall soon. He was older than us, in a different school entirely, but his parents knew Aerith, so they'd played together. There were also a few other kids, but I haven't really seen them in a long time…

"Tifa was one of Aerith's friends, a year younger than her. She and I used to spar a lot, back then. She kind of introduced me to fighting. She disappeared after this world split last year.

"Cloud was a friend of Squall's. They used to be really close. They were once really alike, very dark and kind of moody. But then, one day shortly before Hollow Bastion was destroyed, his enemy approached him. He calls himself Sephiroth. When Cloud was a teenager, Sephiroth did something that sent Cloud into despair. Cloud chased after him ever since, and never told us what happened. On that day before the world disappeared, Sephiroth vanished, and Cloud went with him, looking for revenge.

"The last one was Zack. He and Aerith were very close. I think they even fell in love after a while. We could never really find out what happened to him, only that he just vanished without a trace one day. Aerith still has the hope that he'll come back. She wears the ribbon he gave her every day.

"Cid was kind of our guardian. He met us when we were little and babysat us all for our parents. He kind of took me in after my father died, because I never even knew my mother. When we grew up… I don't know, he just kind of stayed with us, ready to protect us. In fact, he was the one that got us safely off the world when it was falling to darkness." Yuffie took a deep breath and smiled. "That's all of it."

"I can't remember much of my past," I told her honestly, "Other than the fact that my parents were killed in a car accident, and I lived with my aunt until she died. It's all so muddled."

"You'll remember."

I smiled. "I'm sure. I just wonder what exactly it is that let me even become a Nobody. My heart couldn't have possibly been strong enough."

There was a beat of silence. Finally, I said, "We should probably go back to patrol."

"Right. There's plenty of time to talk later."

From then on, we headed downtown. I was careful with my magic. No one had even told me to be, I was just doing that anyway. I didn't want to be entirely useless, though. I found it was easy to use simple white magic, even though that was in spare too, so I healed Yuffie whenever she got hurt.

The day seemed to go on. By the time we broke for lunch- maybe one or so in the afternoon- I was already exhausted, and I hadn't even done that much fighting. We sat on the wall by a place called the Bailey and ate our sandwiches.

"Do you think you'll stay here for a while?" Yuffie asked me, taking a swig of water.

"You asked that before, right? I hope I can."

"No." She swallowed. "I mean when Sora comes here. He'll have to, eventually. Cid was meaning to take a quick look at his ship. You two traveled together, even if it was like for a day or so."

I paused, peeled a bit of crust off the sandwich. "I'm not sure." I took a deep breath. "Xemnas… what I don't understand was his attempt to destroy me the way he did…"

"What do you mean?" She looked confused.

Right. I hadn't told her the story. "I wasn't really… just a prisoner," I forced. "I didn't go back to them… willingly. And when I was there, I didn't just become part of them again. I was kept in captivity. They fed me and stuff, sure. But what they really wanted was information. They wanted me to tell them how I became human."

"Well… do you know, Demyx?"

I nodded slowly. "I didn't know before it happened, of course. It was all an accident. I was just trying to get away from a battle… the man I was against was too strong for me. I ran into my Heartless in a dark corridor. I don't even know how it survived; it was just a Shadow. It grabbed hold of me, and somehow, it gave me my heart." I met her eyes. "They think I betrayed them. They think I knew all along. They think I'm a traitor. That's why I'm kind of worried… they'll find me here, and attack you."

Yuffie took it all in. "…You didn't have a tracker on you, when Cid checked first," she told me. "I didn't want them to, but he scanned you with this thing. You came up clean, to all the bugs we know of, anyway."

I sighed. "Still, I hope they never find me. I don't want to see that place for a long time."

"Then I guess you're not going with Sora."

I'd forgotten what we were talking about before then. "I… I don't know." I set my half-eaten lunch aside. "Two of my… friends are still there, in the base, that I know of, anyway. I wonder if they're okay."

"…Are they evil?"

I shook my head. "No. You'd be surprised. Ever since one of their members left, they've been in upheaval, and my leaving them only intensified it. No one's really on a side anymore, except maybe Saïx. Xaldin's dead. Luxord's neutral. Axel's on my side, or his own. He's the one who sent me here, you know. Xigbar… I thought he was against me, but at the very end…" I took a deep breath and shook myself, feeling startled. "I'm sorry! I didn't meant to say this much." It was all pouring out.

"No, Demyx, keep talking."

"I was sick, and weakening fast," I murmured. "I was going to die there anyway… so I begged Xigbar to kill me, so the information would die with me."

Yuffie took in a quick breath.

I turned to her. "I couldn't let them have it. You have no idea what they'd do with darkness, now that they know how to control it!" I forced myself to calm down. "And Xigbar… he tried to do what I said, but they stopped him at the last moment. Axel sent me here, and that's it."

Yuffie ate a little more of her lunch. "You should really talk to Squall, Demyx," she told me. "Or Cid or Aerith. Tell them everything you know. I want to know, too. We wouldn't have known any of this."

"…I know."

"Why don't we go after lunch?"

"What about patrol? And aren't they at the lab?"

She sighed. "They might be back now, and don't worry about patrol. The Heartless numbers have been down anyway," she told me. "Notice how much we had to walk around to get some to come out? I doubt they're afraid of us. The numbers sometimes drop and then spike. I think things will be fine." She shrugged. "Besides, I'm kind of curious. You say you don't know much, but you might know more than you think."

We did as she said and headed straight back for Merlin's. Sure enough, everyone was there. Leon was flipping through a book.

"Your numbers were low, too?" Yuffie asked.

He nodded and looked at her, surprised.

"I'm kind of wondering what's going on," Cid said, shifting his toothpick to the other side of his mouth.

Aerith walked out from the back of the room. "Hey. What's going on?" She looked to Yuffie and I, concerned.

"Nothing," Yuffie informed her. "We didn't get much Heartless, so we came back."

She frowned. "Leon told me that, too. Cid and I have been wondering… usually the dips only occur before an invasion."

The room visibly tensed. I noted, duly, that the tension had only been repelled by Yuffie's cheerfulness. But now that she knew… it didn't really affect her attitude much, just made her look away. "…How bad, do you think?"

"It may be hours before we know," she said. "You've just got to note, later, just how many enemies show up. If it's a whole horde, things will be fine. If it's few to none, we'll have to put the whole town on high alert."

"It's been happening more and more, lately," Leon said, shutting his book and setting it aside. "These random dips and waves. Maybe something bigger is on the line."

"I hope not," I murmured.

We were all silent for a moment.

"Yuffie and I were talking," I continued, almost shyly. "She said it would be a good idea… if I talked to you guys about the Organization. If I told you what I knew."

Leon glanced up, almost startled. "You're right… We'd been talking about it, but…" He shook his head dismissively.

"I don't know if what I know can be of use, but… just ask away, I guess."

He gestured for me to sit down and we all gathered in a little circle.

I ended up telling them everything.

* * *

Another chapter over and done with. I was kind of multitasking as I edited, I hope it doesn't really show...  
Overall, I'm pleased with this chapter. Not much happened, but we see some backstory start to come through. I hope to eventually expand on Yuffie's past, make it sound less choppy and more like a KH-canon while still compatible with FFVII. I've been playing Crisis Core, by the way. It's a really epic, addicting game.  
I've also read an actual good, recently published, young adult fantasy novel. It's called Graceling. It admittedly has a pretty simple plot, but it's really good. Check it out.

Thank you _**Dragginninja, Chiaroscurist, vildtiger, TheChel, Ravenr20, SoraIsMyHomeboy, The Ninja and the Writer, **_annonies _**Mystical **_and _**Zexionisawesome, **_and of course, Anna.  
Next update: May 12th

By the way, Happy Cinco De Mayo. I don't live in Mexico myself, but I speak a little Spanish and find it a cool holiday.


	15. Unrest

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

Chapter Fifteen  
Unrest

I told them everything I knew about the Organization- the members, what they looked like, their weapons, their elements; the purpose and structure of their mission system, and the important missions I could recall; their goal, what I knew of it, anyway; how we used dark corridors; the history of the Organization, based on what I had gathered; who could be considered neutral and who needed to be destroyed; where our coats came from (that seemed to be a point of real fascination); the treatment and caste system of the lesser Nobodies, and their stats; even the way they treated me when I was their prisoner; the knowledge just poured out of me. It seemed to take hours.

They all listened, believing everything I said without a problem. Cid had quickly moved to his computer, typing down what he could get while I spoke.

At the very end of my little speech, they thanked me for telling them.

"You've been invaluable, Demyx," Leon informed me. "We don't know how this will help us, but I'm sure it will."

And so, I finally became one of them.

* * *

Two weeks passed. It was a good time for me. I quickly adjusted to patrol and, while I didn't seem to get physically stronger, it became easier and easier to use magic. I got to know the committee, got used to having friends. They became almost like my family, people I could turn to if I needed.

I spoke to Yuffie most of all. We seemed almost never to be apart, and whether or not that was intended, I couldn't tell. It just sort of happened. She woke me up in the mornings and I brought her home at night. We talked about everything, whether it was our pasts or what the committee was doing or the Organization, it became a point of conversation.

It was different than friendship. That much I knew. Love was a foreign concept to me, but I wondered if it wasn't impossible, if we would end up together.

On another note, I started having dreams. They were always very vivid, very real, without much imagination in them. I could never really tell what was real until I sat upright in bed, drenched in cold sweat. Most of the time, they were nightmares, and the rest, just plain disturbing. I could never even really remember what they were about, those dreams, only that they terrified me. My brain was trying to tell me something.

It was a cool, rainy spring day. It rained at least once each week, and today, it was a step away from down pouring. Yuffie and I still went on patrol. The Heartless number was barely bordering on average, and it became a concern to all of us. Was something happening, so slowly we could barley see it?

I had borrowed a raincoat from Leon that day, and was quickly glad I had. Water might be my element, but I was still getting used to having the ability. I could still get sick. I wondered just how long it would take until I was fully, truly healed.

We went on with our day like normal until the rain kicked up, spraying us and nearly hurting us with its drops. Yuffie laughed out loud. I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and we both ran under the shelter of a tin roof sticking out nearby.

"Look at the carnage," Yuffie said. "And can you believe this isn't the worst? I'm surprised flowers are even able to grow here." She was still leaning into me. I put my chin on her head. "Ugh! Stop that! Your hair's wet." She laughed but didn't move.

"So is yours."

"Well, whatever."

There was a moment of silence.

"How long do you think we should stay here?" She asked.

"I don't know… But I don't want to walk out in that. Might as well be standing in a vertical stream." I looked at her. "You've got an eyelash… right… there."

"Don't get rid of it! I want to make a wish." She took the tiny hair in hand, thought a moment, and blew it away.

"What did you wish for?" I asked.

"Are you kidding? It won't work if I tell you!"

I glanced at her again. "I've never seen eyes like yours before. At first I thought they were brown, but they're violet."

"Is that a compliment?" She put a hand on her hip.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it is."

She leaned in close. "At first I thought your eyes were blue," she said, voice dropping a pitch. "But, they're actually closer to… green."

Our faces were nearly an inch or so apart.

We moved at nearly the same moment. I cupped her face and she threw her arms around my neck, and we kissed.

I'd been kissed before, of course, but never for long, or for real. Yuffie and I stood, clinging to each other, first surprised we were even kissing, and then quickly warming to each other. I wrapped my spare arm around her waist.

The kisses burned, nearly wanted to be expanded upon, but were innocent. I didn't want to let go; yet it had to end. We couldn't make out in the rain forever.

We finally stepped apart, almost hesitantly. Yuffie touched my hair, stroked the ends. I took her hand and kissed it.

"Your hair," she said. "It looks… pointy. But it's actually soft."

She would say that, especially right after what happened. I touched her hair, too. "Have you ever had long hair?" I asked.

"I did, once, when I was younger. Everyone said I looked like Tifa. They thought we were sisters."

"…I like it better this way, too." I couldn't imagine her that way. She wasn't overly feminine, yet she was still a girl.

"What do we do?" She asked. "It's still raining… I don't want us to get sick."

"We might just have to stay here, for the time being." The area we were in was kind of secluded, kind of not. I sat on one of the crates in the corner.

Yuffie hesitated for half of a second. There was a crate next to me, and it would hold her weight. She chose instead to sit on my lap. I curled my arms around her, and we sort of leaned into each other.

There was nothing really too tense about the situation. I didn't feel nervous, or like things had to go farther than they were. Us being together like this just felt natural.

"…How old are you, Demyx?" Yuffie asked in a soft, unusually calm voice. She sounded almost tired.

I thought a moment. "Depends on who you've asked. I've lived for nineteen years. And yet, Nobodies don't age, so really I'm only sixteen." I'd matured, of course, but that didn't really seem to count as aging. "…What about you? When's your birthday?" We knew everything and nothing about each other. I knew her favorite movies, her favorite color, but I didn't know her age or her father's name.

"…On November 20th, I'll be eighteen." She laughed a little. "When's your birthday, Demyx?"

"October. The nineteenth."

"We could share a birthday party, if we wanted."

"I wonder what the others would think of that." I laughed, too. That struck me with a sudden thought. I nearly jumped, but I didn't want to accidentally knock Yuffie over. "…What will Leon think… of us?"

She lifted her head from my chest. "He'll just have to get used to it. You know he's protective of me, but he likes you. _If_ we're even together."

Making out in the rain didn't count? "Well, are we?" I kept my voice light, teasing.

"I don't know- do you want to be?"

"Only if you do."

"Then we're together. That's all you had to say."

The air charged temporarily with energy. I kissed her once more, briefly, on the lips.

"It's going to be hard to get used to that," Yuffie admitted, almost breathlessly.

* * *

The next days were pure bliss for me. While we hadn't expressed our feelings exactly, we were a couple now, a force to be reckoned with. I had no idea how long it would last, and yet no worries about what would happen if it end. It was hard to keep from smiling.

Yuffie and I were far from conspicuous, true, but we barely did more than hold hands or hug in public. If the others noticed, they didn't say anything.

One day, while waiting for Yuffie to return from a quick errand of Merlin's- "I'll be right back, you just stay here, all right?"- Aerith turned to me and set aside her book.

"You're in love, aren't you?"

The way she stated the words- so bluntly and shamelessly- made me blush. There was nothing to be ashamed of, I knew. It was the first time I'd ever heard those words spoken out loud. "I… why?"

"Because, Demyx. I've never seen anyone so happy. You seem so much more sociable, too. You're in love." She lowered her voice. "With her, too."

I sighed and nodded. "Have the others noticed?"

Aerith paused, tilted her head to the side. "Cid thinks you two are just hitting on each other. Leon doesn't really want to know." She sighed. "I'm just going to say this now, just so you won't have to hear it again. The three of us… we're protective of her, you know? She's like our little sister. Just don't hurt her, Demyx."

I blinked. "Oh, no… of course not!" I couldn't imagine such a thing.

"I'm not exaggerating when I say Leon will come and find you at night."

"…I'm sure!" I raised my palms. "I won't hurt her, I swear."

"Hey!" Yuffie called, walking in and carrying a bag. "What are you guys talking about, anyway?"

"Oh," Aerith said, turning to her with a completely straight face. "I was just telling him about this stray cat I found."

* * *

The days continued on, peacefully and uneventfully, until a little over a week after Aerith confronted me. Yuffie and I had been on patrol, sometimes joined by Leon. Between the three of us, we were dragging up low numbers- it might seem good to anyone else, but considering how populous the Heartless used to be, it was worrying.

Not to mention, Sora's impending arrival seemed to come to mind more and more. He'd come fairly recently just before I came here, and considering it had been three weeks, he was more than due for a visit.

"It would be our luck that he shows up right with a giant wave of Heartless," Aerith said one night just after we all had dinner.

"Is that a good thing or bad thing?" I asked.

She thought. "A good thing, I guess," she muttered. "He can help us fight, but he might think it's always like this…"

"Well, it isn't," Yuffie added, picking up a spare piece of bread and eating it.

Cid shrugged. "We've got to go down to the lab tomorrow, all of us. There's something you should see."

Yuffie and I exchanged glances. "What is it?" She asked.

"I was just able to get into the computer system, it was so full of firewalls and viruses. Whatever it is, he didn't want us to see it." He stretched. "I hope it's good."

"Maybe we'll finally find out where he went," Leon said.

I felt a pressure starting to build in my skull, slowly pressing in. I put my fingers to the point, feigning an itch when the others stared. Was it just a headache?

"Even if we knew where he was, chances are we wouldn't be able to get to him," Cid added. "We're fine without him. The government's fine. I just think the people want closure."

"A lot of people don't even know who he is," Yuffie said suddenly. She smiled and mouthed, "this is boring" to me. "I mean, yeah, he was a good guy, and if he wants to come back, he'll come back."

"He might not want to," Aerith said. "Maybe he can't."

"I miss the good old days," Cid commented almost randomly.

The pressure was turning to pain. I crumpled the napkin I'd been playing with for the past few minutes.

"We're getting on the right track," Yuffie told him idly.

The pain was growing quickly. It used to be just annoying, now it was nearly getting unbearable. It was a piercing pain, unlike anything I'd experienced. I kept my eyes focused on the napkin holder. The headache brushed just lightly across the rest of my body. I clenched my teeth, barely breathing. It felt like my skull would split any second now. The napkin tore in my hand, louder than paper should be.

Everyone looked to me. I was trembling, really.

"Demyx?" Yuffie inquired in a soft voice. "Are you okay?"

I forced a smile. I was nearly blind with the agony. A migraine had nothing on this, and I'd had those before. "Fine. Little headache is all." My breathing was starting to become irregular. I felt like I didn't have enough air. I rested my head in my hand.

The conversation continued awkwardly for a few minutes. I held my breath; each time I inhaled, there was a direct jolt of pain to my mind. My face was flushed. I felt really unwell, and it was so sudden. Almost like something inside me was breaking.

The agony reached a whole new level. I gasped out loud. Once again, I drew everyone's attention.

"Demyx, is something wrong?" Aerith asked.

"I need some fresh air," I murmured, and all but ran from the room.

I stumbled weakly into the street, gasping for air. I was dizzy, so dizzy. Where had all this pain come from, and so quickly? I leaned heavily against a wall just out of view of the house.

My skull was positively splitting. I couldn't even find ways to distract myself- my whole being was focused on the ache. It wasn't even really a physical thing, either- it felt deeper, more concentrated, and my thoughts drifted sluggishly towards what Axel had told me only a few weeks ago.

No! This was not happening. I was having a migraine, that was all, and it just caught me off guard. I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm not sick.

I whimpered out loud. I wanted just to black out already from the sheer force of it. Yet, the one time I wanted my body to just cut everything out, it wouldn't. I couldn't see, literally. I leaned against the wall, breathing hard, whimpering.

Then, only then, did my consciousness fade.

* * *

When I woke up, the awful headache was gone, yet I felt weak and sickly.

I was in the back room where I'd first woken up a few weeks ago. My coat hung idly there, evidently replaced by Aerith or Cid. They wouldn't get rid of it, no matter how many times I told them to. I looked away, focusing instead on the ceiling.

I felt dizzy, slightly disconnected. My head felt empty, devoid of the usual melodies that ran through it, instead filled with static and white noise.

My body hurt. Everything was sore. I'd just passed out. I might have hit something on the way down, but I wouldn't hurt like this. I flexed my fingers, surprised at the little tremors of soreness. It wasn't just the ache of a good workout- it was the ache flu left behind.

Clearly, something was going on, and that something wasn't a good thing.

I took a deep breath and sat up. The room rocked unsteadily. This was not a good sign. I curled into a ball. What was wrong with me? I had been feeling fine for the past few weeks, ever since Aerith healed me. Why was I suddenly feeling so sick now, and so quickly?

The door opened slowly, and Aerith walked in.

"How are you feeling?" She asked in a soft voice.

I stared at her, deliberating whether to lie or not. Then again, she probably knew what was happening to me, or the general gist of it. "Not well at all."

She sat down at the foot of the cot. "…I didn't think so." She looked at her hands. "There's something you didn't tell us, isn't there, from when you were imprisoned?"

I hesitated and glanced away.

"Demyx, I knew what happened to you last night. That headache wasn't 'something little.' I could sense just how much it hurt you. This doesn't just happen to a normal, healthy person, especially since you fainted."

"…You're right."

"Can you tell me what it was, then, that happened to you?"

I took a deep breath. The truth was staring me in the face.

"Demyx, I really need to know. I need to know what I can do to help you."

"I was… poisoned," I murmured. "I think that's the right word. The day before I met you guys, an Organization member found me and poisoned me with the serum they use to neutralize a Dusk's powers."

She blinked. "But you're a water elemental. You're immune to most poisons."

"…I don't know. Something else must have been mixed in. It short-circuited my powers, and they remained stalled for the entire time I was there. Maybe they were putting drugs in my food, but I was never able to taste anything. It was all the same." I thought about the peach.

"…Go on."

"The whole time I just got sicker and weaker, almost inexplicably. One day, they gave me a peach. After having such terrible food for such a long while, I ate it. I think it might have actually been more of the poison, given its affects."

"There's more, isn't there?"

I nodded. "Axel… I told you about him, he helped me escape- he asked Xemnas what was happening to me, why I was so unwell. Xemnas… Xemnas told him that my… soul was deteriorating, and the process had started naturally when I became human, but would have taken years and years otherwise. He just… sped up the process." I felt like I was going to cry. I couldn't die. Not now.

Aerith appeared sad. "Why didn't you tell me earlier, Demyx?"

"Because I thought they had lied to me, at first, when I felt so much better after you healed me. But now… It's all catching up to me…"

"Let me check," she said, holding out her hand.

"How? What can you possibly do?"

She pressed her palm into my chest. I felt a cool sensation, and the world disappeared all around me for the slightest second. I saw blue chains, and before I could even acknowledge the change, was back in the real world. She suddenly looked that much sadder. "Demyx, I…"

"I get it." I cut her off. "How much… how much longer do I have?"

"Days," she whispered. "Possibly a week."

Only a week? What could I possibly do with that time?

"I think you're going to get very weak, very quickly," she informed me, "From what I can tell. What I don't know is why it took this long, if you were poisoned so long ago…" She rummaged in the cupboard and handed me a bottle, half-empty. "For the headaches."

"What the hell am I going to tell Yuffie?" I murmured. "'I love you. By the way, I'm going to die.' See, I just don't think it will work that way…" I paused. "Before I left… I'd already accepted that I was going to die. Why did I even think that things were going back to normal?"

Aerith gathered her bottles, putting them back in the cupboard. "I almost suspected darkness, at first," she told me. "I always sensed there was something just slightly wrong about you when we met. But as I got to know you, I knew you were too pure for the darkness… If only I'd known sooner, maybe there would have still been some of the poison in you, and I could have made an antidote…"

I remembered something. "The morning after I was poisoned, Sora noticed I wasn't feeling well. He offered to bring me to you, but I refused, thinking I would just get better and not wanting to be a burden… I'm such an idiot." I stood up, ignoring the dizziness. "…Thank you. I think I'm just going to go home and lay down."

I ran out of the house, tears flooding my eyes.

* * *

I've got a feeling a lot of people are going to be mad at me because of this...  
So Yuffiemyx gets set up, and the plot starts to come back into action. Dun-dun-duh! For some reason... the story seems rushed...  
Anyway, I met Rick Riordan, the Lightning Thief author, at a booksigning recently. I obviously didn't get to talk to him much, but he seemed very nice and funny, from what I can get from his speech. Read the Lightning Thief series if you haven't yet. It's amazing. The Red Pyramid trilogy is good, too.

It looks like we've reached 100 reviews! Thanks so much, guys, for your dedication and time put into reading this, as well as those who read the 40 chapter 'epic' original (especially you guys, you were with me right from the beginning). Specifically, though, I want to thank _**Phantom Hunter of the Soul, Draginninja, NinjaSheik, Ravenr20, The Ninja and the Writer, TheChel, SoraIsMyHomeboy,**_ annonie _**Mystical**_, and Anna for last chapter's feedback.

Next update: Approx May 19th


	16. Waning

**Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts isn't mine.**

Chapter Sixteen  
Waning

I threw myself onto the bed. Everything had finally started to go right for me. I'd found a home, friends, even a girlfriend. I guess things had gotten too good. I would never be able to escape my past.

I wasn't worried about my own death, not when I'd been begging for it a few weeks ago. I was worried about the people I would hurt. Sure, I didn't want to die, I hadn't nearly achieved anything I was capable of, but I was I, and the World could afford my loss. But I would be hurting Aerith, Cid, and Leon; and I would most definitely hurt Yuffie.

Why had I let myself grow so attached? How could I ever think- or even hope- I could be normal?

The tears absolutely refused to come, now that I was ready for them. I turned over and looked up at the ceiling. Somewhere along the way, between my illness and my buzzing thoughts, I fell asleep.

* * *

Memories assaulted me. I could remember being young, and the sharp words thrown like knives, hurting that much more when they hit flesh-

_"Hey, it's Myde! Look at the freak!"_

_"Look at the fucking foreigner!"_

_"Go back to where you came from!"_

_"I thought you were supposed to be smart! You're so fucking stupid!"_

_"Why are you different? You're not allowed to be different here."_

_"Why don't you have any friends? That's right, no one wants to be your friend. You're so ugly, so stupid."_

I could remember the fists, hands ripping at clothing, punching, hitting, violating…

_"Haha, this _would _be the only thing you're good for."_

_"Stop it, leave me alone!"_ My own voice. No one listened.

_"No! I'm not done with you!" _

_"Fucking Jap. Fight back, you stupid little manwhore. If your mommy or whatever is one, you must be, too! Does she even love you, to let you do that?"_

_"His mother is dead."_

_"That's even better!"_

And when I finally snapped, finally tried to fight back, I ended up with a knife in my shoulder, bleeding… the day of the invasion, I attracted the Heartless with my blood.

I screamed into my pillow, waking up violently. I could still feel the hands ripping at me, trying to pull clothes off. I curled up tight, breathing hard.

So that was why. That was why they'd always hated me.

The past was finally starting to make sense, at least a little of it. The information was coming back in drifts.

While I was white, I'd been born in Japan, raised there for a few years. We immigrated, then, to a different world, and not long after that, my parents were killed. I lived with my aunt until her own death, growing up being mocked and persecuted, for my religion and origin. They mocked my accent when I was younger, and still addressed me in it when I'd grown and it had faded; they pushed me, hurt me, and always blamed everything on stupid Myde, my reputation worsened by the fact that while I was technically 'Asian' I wasn't book smart.

I'd never had any friends. I'd grown up always being hated, retained that stigma until… now.

My lips curled around the words, my native language coming back to me. "**Why? Why did this have to happen?**"

* * *

I lay in bed for a long time after that, just sort of staring numbly into the distance. The covers were lazily sprawled all over me. My arm draped off the side of the bed, falling asleep because I was lying on it.

There was a knock at the door. I continued to say nothing, not even really moving, though some part of me knew who it was. It had to be Yuffie.

I wonder if Aerith told her, and if she hadn't, how I would. I hadn't expected our relationship to be cut so short- but yet, I should have. Why did I even think that all my problems would go away, just because I received a particularly good heal?

She knocked again, more tentatively this time. Yuffie opened the door and stuck her head in.

"Demyx?" She asked in a soft voice. "Are you… alright?"

I finally sat up wearily, blinking as if I'd just woken up. "…No, not really," I told her.

Yuffie shut the door behind her, barely making a sound. She might have been perpetually cheerful, but she sure knew how to be serious. "What's going on?"

I stared at her, eyes finally focusing. Aerith hadn't told her, after all. "I just…" I shook my head. "Kind of everything at once."

She furrowed her eyebrows and sat next to me on the bed, hugging me around the waist. "Do you need to talk about it?"

My hand trembled. "…I had a dream last night," I whispered.

"What about?"

The words spilled from my lips. I told her about my past, from the beginning; about my sitar, how I got it from my traveler father when he went to India; my short-lived days in Japan; about my move to a new world, people bullying me and being racist; my aunt's death; living with my abusive grandfather. Some of the words were revelations to myself, things I hadn't even consciously known.

It crept back to me slowly, as I told her. My family name was Hasegawa; we had never been well off, neither had any of the relatives I'd lived with. When I was fourteen, I was accepted into a private school on scholarship because of my talent with music. However, I was made fun of it endlessly. I was called stupid, poor, Asian trash; I was regularly beaten. And yet, none of the authorities seemed to care. No one saw when I was cornered in a fight.

My home life wasn't so good, either. My aunt was a kind woman; she loved me. However, her… occupation often had her away from home, day or night, and while we had enough money to live off of, there usually wasn't much food because she'd rather drink or go out then shop.

My grandfather also had a drinking problem; it seemed genetic. He was relatively gentle and harmless when sober, but often, he too beat me when he was drunk enough. He always apologized, though, and from the look in his eyes, always meant it.

Things did escalate to a whole new level, though.

Once again, it happened when I was fourteen. That was kind of the hell year of my life. While it was true people often dragged me into alleys, whether it be people from school or random men (we didn't live in a particularly good neighborhood), I had only walked off a bit ruffled with a few dollars missing. But something then happened.

I had been running down the street from a group of thugs. It had been a long and particularly bad day, and it didn't ever seem to end. I'd failed an English test, gotten hit in the face in PE and nearly broke my nose, got cornered in the lunch room for spare money I didn't have, and to top it off, was being chased by these guys.

I guess that's where I learnt to run away. I'd had to get fast, very quickly. I could have gone out for the track team if the whole school didn't hate me.

They ended up cornering me in an alley, too. It was the middle of winter. They barked their usual insults, grabbed me and told me to fork over whatever valuables I was carrying (yeah, right), and when I couldn't comply, they proceeded to then throw me to the ground and rip off my clothes, and get their payment in _other_ ways.

By the time I finished telling Yuffie everything, I was crying and she was staring at me, horrified. Sure, I'd been expecting an awful past and pain, but until it had grown clear, I hadn't realized just _how_ horrible. It made me wonder how I even forgot it, or how I was even sane.

And yet, there was more. My life would be ending any day now, since I had finally found something good to hang on to.

She sat on my lap and hugged me tightly to her. I felt horrible, sobbing almost shamelessly into her shoulder.

"Demyx, it's okay now," she told me. "They can't hurt you anymore."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. Her shirt was damp. "I didn't mean to dump this all on you…"

"You were going to have to bring it up eventually," Yuffie whispered. "It's okay, Demyx. You're fine now. You're human. You're away from them. You have friends. You have _me_."

I looked at her for a minute. She looked almost like she was going to cry herself, and I immediately felt terrible. I loved her so much already, loved her for caring.

I felt another wave of that same type of awfulness when I realized she was still ignorant of what was going to happen to us.

"There's still something I have to tell you," I whispered. I didn't want to tell her now, but the gods only knew how much time I had… "Something involving… now."

Yuffie looked confused. "…Like?"

"…That headache," I murmured. "Aerith had a theory…"

She blinked.

I looked at her pleadingly. "Please, Yuffie. You've got too believe me."

"…Why wouldn't I?"

"She told me…" Oh, I couldn't do it! I couldn't do this, couldn't just _hurt her_ like this. "She told me that… I wasn't doing well."

Yuffie was beginning to get it; I could tell. "…What do you mean?"

"I've been… poisoned," I whispered. "By the Organization. I thought it had gone away…"

"But she can heal you."

"It's too late," I said in my normal voice, which was nearly yelling after how quiet we'd been. "I tried that. It's not… normal poison. It was supposed to sever my ties to my powers. Instead, it… it's shattering my soul."

Yuffie stared at me for a full minute, slowly getting it.

I took her face gently in one hand. "Please. If I'd know before, when I came back, what was happening, I would have never… I wouldn't have put you through this."

She closed her eyes and looked away. "But if you're… poisoned… then that means…"

I nodded. "I'm so sorry, Yuffie."

"…How long do you have?"

"A few days. Maybe a week."

She inhaled sharply. "Demyx…"

I heard the hurt in her voice. "I just wanted to tell you… before…"

"Demyx," she repeated, her voice breaking this time. I hugged her tightly.

"Yuffie… I didn't intend for this to happen, for us to…" I took a breath. "I never would have…"

She didn't cry, just breathed into my shirt.

"Maybe… maybe I should go."

She laughed a bit hysterically. "Why would _you_ leave? This is your room!"

"I can't believe it… I never wanted… to hurt you."

"It was bound to happen sometime," she whispered. "Don't you get it? People like you and me, we're not allowed to be happy."

What did she mean by that? It seemed that Yuffie had a perfectly happy life at the moment. Maybe she meant her past? If so, it meant we had a lot more in common than I thought.

Somehow, someway, we ended up kissing. It seemed to last a long time, burned even more than our first kisses. I laughed humorlessly when we broke apart. "Yuffie, what are we going to do?"

She laughed, too. "Let me stay, Demyx. Tonight. That's all."

Yuffie did end up spending the night, true, but don't get any ideas. We shared a bed, but didn't touch, didn't make love. It was like the rest of our relationship- innocent, natural.

* * *

I woke up in the middle of the night, woken by weird dreams that I couldn't even remember now. All I remembered was the bleak redness, and the scalding heat.

I stood by the bedside table for a full minute, staring down at the bed. Demyx was still reaching for me in his sleep, curling in on himself when he realized I was gone.

I sighed a little bit. The whole conversation we'd had earlier in the afternoon- suddenly I felt as if I couldn't act the way I normally did. Something had morphed inside, started to eat away at me.

I didn't even really know what it was.

I leaned over and kissed Demyx on the cheek. He seemed to be deeply asleep, free from whatever nightmares he usually had. I walked over to the small balcony, rough boards feeling weird against my bare feet.

What he told me, it hit like a mallet, yet it still barely seemed to seep in. We had a week, he said. Our relationship would only last four weeks.

God damnit, I'd never loved anyone before! Why did he have to leave?

Probably Kisaragi luck.

All my life, I'd grown up independent. It wasn't like I was physically relying on him, but I was surprised at how much even thinking about our separating hurt.

Did that make me a hypocrite? Lone star Yuffie, tough and perpetually cheerful, wailing over a lost boyfriend?

I hadn't even cried yet, had tried not to. But what would I do? There would just be this gaping whole left behind. And it would be even worse to gradually watch it happen. I almost wished that Death would snatch him right now, while he was asleep and not in any pain.

Then I got paranoid that he _would_ die right then.

I watched Demyx breathe for a few minutes, never a break in the pattern. I sighed inwardly, and stared back at the sky.

The moon was very full, bright, and seemed close, like it would squish me. Aerith told me that she was once scared of the sky. I kind of knew what she meant.

Suddenly, the tears flooded my eyes, before I could stop them.

_Why_ did it have to hurt so much? Technically speaking, we barely knew each other, but…

"Yuffie? Is something wrong?" Demyx walked onto the porch, rubbing his eyes blearily. He was so cute.

I'd been so caught up in musing along angstily that I hadn't heard him get up. I hiccupped. "Sorry… did I wake you?"

He shook his head. "No… hey, are you… crying?"

I laughed and hiccupped again all at once. I turned and threw my arms around him, finally giving in and sobbing like a cliché.

He hugged me tightly, not saying anything. He'd apologized to me so many times.

He said that if he'd known, he wouldn't have let us fall in love. Well, hell, too late for that now.

I looked up at him. "Demyx... what are we supposed to do now?"

He stroked my hair. "I don't know," he whispered.

* * *

The end of this chapter feels like a disappointment... :/ And too much angsting for me! Thought it kind of had to happen, if you see what I mean.  
I also really enjoyed writing Yuffie. I bet you guys were like, 'huh? What the hell is going on?' I might have to write her again some time. I just like her personality; but since I've been writing only one character for so long...  
Blah, blah, blah...

Also, I read this book called 'Half-World' by Hiromi Goto. It's amazing; it starts slow but becomes awesome. It's a little bit like Spirited Away, but also its own independent story. Yes, good stuff.

Thank you _**Ravenr20, SoraIsMyBoy, TheChel, The Ninja And The Writer, Chiaroscurist, **_annonie _**Mystical**_ and Anna :).  
Next update: Approx. May 26th


	17. High Alarm

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I only own the storyline, and anything to do with Demyx's past. That is all.**

Chapter Seventeen  
High Alarm

I woke up early, Yuffie still clinging to me. The sky was gray, not quite dawn, not quite night. I could tell I wouldn't fall back asleep, even though I was still exhausted.

And would be.

While I was half asleep, yesterday seemed like it had been a dream, like none of it had ever really happened, but it had. I'd told her all about my past and what was happening to me now, and we'd had more than a good cry about it.

I blinked a few times, clearing my mind. Sleep always seemed to be good for numbing pain.

What _would _we do now? It was too late to take everything back.

I put one arm over my eyes, blocking out the little bits of light.

I couldn't come to any conclusion. I felt tired, worn down, not really ready to take this on. Yet I had to, and already had, in some way.

I can't believe I just let the time wile away. How had I been able to suspect nothing?

Somehow, that made my train of thought drift back to Axel and Xigbar. Where were they, and more importantly, were they both alive, and human? I couldn't believe just how little thought I had given them. Axel had escaped, obviously, but had they found him? Was he human, even though there hadn't been time to tell him that secret?

And Xigbar had teleportation powers. Surely he had to have gotten away safely, being one of the most powerful members of the Organization.

And what about Luxord? I had scarcely seen or talked to him the whole time, but was he on their side?

I sighed and stretched my arms. I didn't feel like thinking about it; so I didn't have to. I only had so much time left, and spending it feeling sorry for myself and worrying didn't seem like a good thing.

But there was no escape. There was no miracle that would save me. Even Aerith, and the amazing healer that she was, couldn't help me.

I quickly decided I wouldn't let myself care. I didn't have to feel sorry for myself.

Everyone would do that for me.

* * *

Later that morning, we headed down to Ansem the Wise's lab.

Personally, I hadn't been there, and neither had Yuffie. We would be taking patrol in shifts that day- Leon would have the morning and we would have the afternoon. There was no point in even looking anymore. Heartless were little and few between.

Which, in a completely selfish way, was good for me. I was steadily getting weaker, I could tell just by the way my body felt. It was easy to think around, yet still, having my muscles ache for no discernable reason bothered me.

Yuffie led me further into town than I had ever been, past the Bailey and to a set of gates. She reached into a pocket for a key I hadn't seen before.

"Where did you get that?" I asked.

"Leon handed it to me. I meant to show you yesterday, but… well, you know how things turn out." She shook her head and turned the key in the lock, causing the gates to creak and finally to open. "The majority of the construction sites are back here. We found Ansem the Wise's castle in ruins here not too long ago. We've made lots of progress rebuilding it."

I blinked. In my time with the committee, we hadn't done any actual building. "How? When?"

She laughed a little. "We've kind of been on hiatus since before you got here. Cid couldn't find the original blueprints, so he was hesitant to continue with the remodeling. That's kind of why he was so excited to find the lab."

Had he been? I couldn't recall. "You guys really had all your hopes placed on this computer, huh?"

We walked up the slope for a moment or two in silence. "…Yes, and no. It's just knowledge that this computer will give us, and it hasn't exactly been cooperative, from what I've heard. I didn't really get to talk to Cid since yesterday, though."

I nodded.

The slope cleared onto a round, copper-colored service entrance to the castle. Yuffie called it the postern. "We haven't fixed the main entrance yet, but it's beautiful," she told me. "I've only seen it once, and far away. I can't wait until we finish construction. The castle is going to be so fun to explore." She smiled at me, her grin slipping for a second when she remembered I wasn't going to be there.

I forced a smile. "Yeah, you'll have fun." I hated causing her so much sadness. But it wasn't like I had much choice to be away from her now, nor did I really want to leave.

She nodded as well. "It's not much farther than here. There are some collapses passages inside, though, so watch out."

The castle might have looked structurally intact from the outside, but from the inside it was a whole other story. The halls were a bright red, lined with gold piping at some points. Once again, there were minimal Heartless. Various puddles decorated the floors in some places. The whole time we were down there, I felt this crushing weight above me, like the whole castle was going to collapse and kill us.

Every once and a while, Yuffie would whip out a map, nod, and then tuck it back into her pocket. However, within fifteen minutes, I realized we were lost.

She swore. "I hate these passages! They all look the same, and it's all set in a grid, so if I accidentally turned the map upside down, we would never know."

I furrowed my eyebrows. Maybe I could actually be useful. My reconnaissance training might be getting slowly buried, but I'd had enough maps thrust into my face that I knew how to read them. "Let me see that," I said, taking the paper gently from her.

The paper was thick, brittle, and worn. The map had been folded, the place we needed to get to in one quadrant. I quickly realized this was part of the problem- we were most likely out of the quadrant. I unfolded the paper in full, using the various markings to set it upright. The map had evidentially been created before the tunnels collapsed, with new routs drawn in with highlighter, and things like, "collapse here" and "split pipes- dangerous" were written next to certain locations in a cramped handwriting.

So in reality, it was actually quite easy, when I got the problem with the map sorted out.

"It wasn't my fault, okay?" Yuffie told me. "I… I didn't know… it all looks the same to me."

"I'm not blaming you," I said, staring at her. "Let's get down to the lab, all right?"

The red walls quickly changed, the floor going to that thin, threadbare carpet you'd find in library, the walls turning to a sand-colored wallpaper. Finally, there was a simple wooden door at the end of the corridor.

Yuffie and I exchanged a glance. Almost tentatively, she pushed open the door.

The first thing I noticed was just how pulled apart it was; that, or something had come through and ripped it to pieces. Most of the books had evidentially vanished; the rest were lying, mismatched, in piles on the shelves. Some broken glass was on the floor, bits of it scattered on the desk and bookshelves, glittering in the pale light. There were no windows, so obviously the room had been optimized to take in as much light as possible.

There were posters showing different equations and drawings with what had to be theories, but it was all written in a language I couldn't understand. Yuffie and I looked around for a full few minutes. I couldn't read her expression- it was something like hurt and awe.

On one of the wall was a picture, a portrait of a young man. I stared at it, my eyes seeing the picture, but not really taking it in.

…What was this?

I had seen the man before. I knew him. He had tried to kill me, and in some way, was destroying me right now, silently.

The portrait was of Xemnas. The breath caught in my throat. Yet, it wasn't of him exactly. The hair had a slightly blonde hue to it, while still remaining white, versus the violent silver of Xemnas's hair. The skin was paler, healthier looking. The most shocking thing, though, was the faint smile on his face.

It had to be his Somebody. But how had Xemnas known Ansem the Wise?

"That's Ansem," Yuffie gasped, seeing the picture behind me. At my confusion, she continued. "There were two Ansems. One was Ansem the Wise… the other was Ansem, Seeker of Darkness… The second Ansem, the evil one, was the only Heartless to ever have a human form…"

All the pieces were sliding together in my head. Ansem the Wise obviously wasn't Xemnas, though I'm sure his disappearance and the timing of Xemnas's birth wasn't coincidental. I wasn't an idiot; when you took the X out of Xemnas's name, you had Ansem.

Ansem, as in, Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. That was his Heartless, which meant, some small part of my mind noted, that he could never become human, an oddly colossal relief, like a pressure I hadn't noticed before was relieved.

"But if this was Xemnas's Somebody, and it wasn't Ansem the Wise, then why and how are the two tied together, and what made him adopt Ansem's name?" I asked aloud. "…Who was he?"

Suddenly, a pain grasped my mind, and I fell to my knees.

In my mind's eye, I saw a clear picture of Xemnas's Somebody, smiling at me happily. I had to have been young- it looked like he was much taller than me.

"Demyx!" Yuffie exclaimed, running to me.

I took deep, even breaths. I remembered that, not so long ago, Xemnas had told me he'd seen me in my past, as a little boy growing up in Japan- "I saw the potential you had. So I cast a charm on you."

What was this charm? Darkness, he'd said. Was that what was destroying me, and not the poison? Had it all been made up?

More importantly, if this was all true, how were Xemnas and I connected?

"Demyx?" Yuffie repeated, more slowly. "Are you okay?"

A second voice joined hers- Aerith, I quickly recognized. She must have arrived as soon as the headache struck me. "Can you hear me okay?"

Shaking off the shock, I nodded. "Guys… I think there's something going on here."

Aerith raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

I relayed to them what I could remember- the fish stall story, how my heart was supposedly nearly pure light, about the charm. How he'd 'seen the potential' in me. I stared at them both in worry. Had the charm sent me on a path to destruction, turned me into a Nobody? But obviously it hadn't all worked according to plan; I'd become human. I'd rebelled. Now, maybe he wanted revenge from a servant who'd got awry.

Yuffie looked at me with an odd expression on her face. Aerith put a hand on my shoulder. "Demyx, I don't mean to be rude… but I wonder if maybe the poison is starting to make you… remember things that didn't happen. When I checked, it was definitely poison and not darkness- though, I suppose that darkness is a poison." Confusing herself, she shook her head to dismiss the thought.

"That's the thing," I whispered, picking myself up and swiping the dust of my pants. "I don't know _if_ this really happened. I can't tell."

Yuffie bit her lip.

Aerith smiled tiredly. "We can worry about it later, if you like. However, you guys should see what's back here…" She gestured towards a door in the wall that had to have once been part of the actual room itself.

Before we could get much beyond that, a splitting alarm screeched through the whole room. Automatically, all of us covered our ears when we first heard it, but when a second noise- this one a human voice- added itself to the din; we had to turn and uncover our ears.

It was Cid, and he was shouting. He had a panicked look on his face. I could only hear bits and pieces through the machine's blaring. "_-Malfunction- computer- energy spike- the whole town- got to stop that noise!_"

The four of us ran into the computer room. I noticed fleetingly that there was a much larger space below us, a whole underground section filled with what looked like jars and a large dais. The whole thing pulsed with an odd energy.

Cid slammed his fist down on the keyboard, the alarm going silent. My ears were ringing. Red lights flashed mutely, the din accompanying them splintered.

"What's going on?" Yuffie asked, her voice slightly louder than usual. She checked her ears.

Cid was breathless, like he'd just run a marathon. "That's the thing. I was trying to get into the files, when suddenly this thing popped up on the monitor. Look at it…" He gestured wildly. "I can't read it. It's in some weird language… but I don't like the look of that gauge."

On the screen, there was a red gauge, numbers calculating wildly. The line shot up and up, flashing wildly.

"The numbers are awfully high… if this is what I think it is." He swore. "Of _course_ Ansem would keep tabs on the activity…"

A voice came from the computer. "Warning," it said in a soft, monotonous voice. "There is a massive energy spike in sectors one through eight. Evacuation recommended."

"I know!" He screamed back at it, nailing on keys. "I thought I'd shut the volume…"

One through eight… I'd heard him and Leon talking about how the town was divided… into different sectors. Exactly eight of them…

In other words, the entire world was in danger, because of… something.

Leon came running in, looking more flustered than I'd ever seen him. "What's going on? What's happening back here?" He ran over, Yuffie jumping out of the way right in time.

"How did you get back here so quickly?" Cid asked.

"I was coming towards you to switch off shifts anyway, when suddenly… the claymores started going crazy," he informed us. "They just started going off. Thank god that you fixed that glitch… otherwise, they would be hurting townspeople."

I swallowed, staring at the screen. The symbols, they had started to slowly make sense…. I squinted over Cid's shoulder. Was that…?

It was. While the language written all over the posters and walls in the other room was something I couldn't understand, this was. It was Japanese, and I didn't think my friends would like the translation.

Yuffie noticed my expression. "Demyx… what is it?"

"The words…" I whispered. "They're in Japanese. I can read Japanese…" I shook my head.

"Well, what the hell does it say?" Cid asked desperately.

"That gauge… it monitors dark energy. In other words, the number of Heartless that are and/or will pour in." I swallowed. "According to that thing… we have hours until the whole world is decimated."

* * *

Dun dun dun! XD  
Well, that chapter took an unexpected twist. I only started writing the majority of it a few hours ago, and I like the way it went. I wish I had more time to make it longer, but this is an appropriate spot to cut it off. I know you guys are going to hate me.  
No proofreading because it is so late... arg! I hope this chapter doesn't have awful grammatical mistakes.

I have an idea for another fanfiction. We've been reading a novel called _Brave New World _in English class, and I couldn't help but notice that one of the character's personalities starts off very close to Zexion's. So then I thought, what would the KH universe be like if this happened... I don't know if I'll actually do it though.

Thank you **_SoraIsMyHomeboy, Draggininja, Zemby, The Ninja And The Writer, TheChel, Ravenr20, The Moon's Berserk, _**annonie _**Mystical**_, and Anna for reviewing last chapter.  
Next Update: June 2nd  
I hope you all have a good Memorial Day!


	18. Preparation

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

Chapter Eighteen  
Preparation

They all gaped at me for a few minutes.

Finally, Leon was able to stutter something. "Are you absolutely _positive_?"

I nodded. "I'm sorry. That's what it says."

"I had a feeling," Cid muttered. "The second I heard that alarm."

"Well, what do we do?" Yuffie asked, unable to comprehend this quickly enough. "It's not like the last time, sure, but did you see those numbers?"

"…And it's still growing." Cid shook his head.

"Even with all the people who can fight in this town, all the weapons, and all the claymores, we still have no chance," Yuffie continued, sitting down on a nearby box. I put an arm around her. Leon stared at it for a moment, and then decided he had more important things to think about.

"We should try to do what it says and evacuate," Aerith whispered.

"And go where?" Leon suddenly demanded. "Traverse Town? Even if we had enough ships, there's not enough _time_. How long?" He barked at me.

I squinted at the screen again. "It doesn't say. Just hours."

"It would be an absolute madhouse," Leon said, his voice growing softer. His unreadable expression cracked, and I saw real pain on his face. He slumped and put his face in his hands. "I promised it would be different this time…"

Yuffie looked up, suddenly. "You said you put that communications device on Sora's ship, Cid. Maybe you can get to him."

The hope in the room rose substantially- I could feel it.

"You're right!" Aerith exclaimed. "Maybe he can help us!"

"I'd have to reach it from my own computer," Cid said, his voice low. "I don't want to risk upsetting this one, and I don't know how to use it very well. Even then… we'd have to ask him to risk his life even trying to land. The excess energy is probably wreaking hell on the atmosphere…"

"But it's something," I said quickly. "You know he would help us. It's part of his job."

We all looked at one another, nodded.

The next five minutes were frenzy. Powered by adrenaline and vain hope, we all ran back to Merlin's. The sky was growing still darker. Cid rapidly typed different codes, getting onto an odd-looking grid. "Come on…" he murmured. A box popped up. "Yes! I've got it!"

We all cheered.

The signal fluttered, the screen suddenly going to wavy lines. Suddenly, all the power in the room blinked out- not much, considering what little electricity there was in the room, but the lights of all the surrounding houses flickered out.

A low buzzing noise came from the bottom of Cid's hard drive- a generator kicking in. The screen came back on and stabilized, but the grid looked shaky and the box was full of static.

"Oh, no, no, no!" He shouted, slamming his fists onto the table. "The dark energy is too much! It's blocking out all radio waves!"

The room was hushed, quiet.

"So we can't reach him?" Leon asked in a frighteningly delicate voice.

Cid shook his head. "There's nothing I can do."

There was a hush. Yuffie gently pulled away from me. "Then I know what's going to happen! I'm going to die fighting!" She put her hands on her hips. "I can't confront my mother if I told her I didn't die protecting my home."

Leon nodded. "Yes… we're not going down without a fight."

Aerith looked up. "Maybe… maybe this isn't the end," she whispered, and then closed her eyes. "…I couldn't even convince myself. I wish there were time…"

"Time for what?" I asked.

"There was a spell I was once taught," she said in a soft voice. "Back when I was still studying for my certificate. My master told me that if I ever needed it, there was a spell that could protect the world." She walked over to a bookshelf and gently pried free one of the volumes. She opened it to a marked page. "It's called 'Holy.' It wards off all foreign attacks, external or internal." She studied the page. "It takes no materials other than a white materia and time."

"How long does it take?" Yuffie asked.

"Sixteen hours," Aerith whispered. "I've never done it. I've never seen it done. But I've got to try it."

"Aerith…" Leon began.

"Please, Leon." Her voice was sharp; the meanest I'd ever heard it. "Let me do this. I don't care if it kills me. We're all as good as dead anyway." She paused. "Maybe I can achieve it in only a few hours… I am powerful enough. I've been training for this."

Finally, he nodded once.

"I… I should start now." She frowned. "I'll go home and start the spell." She turned to Yuffie. "Yuffie… I'm going to need your white materia."

She looked momentarily distracted, and then sighed. "…Okay. It's not like I can do anything with it, anyway."

"What's materia?" I asked.

"It's an old system we used to use," Leon explained quickly. "The materia used to lend us power. We stopped using it after the world fell… They were getting harder and harder to find."

"But I always kept some," Yuffie explained. "Not for reasons like this… because I used to be a thief. Finding treasure was one of the things I did most when I was a kid."

I furrowed my eyebrows. She never told me this before.

Yuffie took my hand. "Come on. We have to go get it."

From Merlin's house, the three of us went to the house Yuffie and Aerith shared. Aerith would need a quiet place to do her spell, and Merlin's home was out of the question, seeing as Cid needed the computer, and he was getting progressively frustrated.

I'd never been much beyond the small living room of the house. It was small, and cluttered with their combined possessions. You could tell the difference between the two parts of the home- Aerith's part was neat and more feminine, while Yuffie's was more unorganized. The mess made more sense now- Yuffie had been a thief, after all.

But was she still? If this part of her was so ingrained in her personality, and I'd never known it, what kind of boyfriend did that make me? Or was she at fault, for never saying anything about it?

She brought me down a short hallway into what had to be her bedroom. Oddly enough, this room was far emptier, with most of the things in boxes. She knelt by the bed. A floorboard was loose. She lifted it and pulled a box from underneath it, flicking at what looked like a combination lock. The box creaked open.

"It was really hard, finding these," she told me. "I was really young when I collected this stuff, and still I knew how powerful they were. That's why I wanted all the materia, really. That kind of stuff intrigued me. And no one could have valuable stuff- it all had to be mine." She picked something up, held it in her palm. "Here. Look at this."

It was a tiny white sphere, not much bigger than a marble. The inside glowed, and was strangely luminescent.

"I found it in my father's study, when I was very young," Yuffie said softly. "It was under lock and key, but the first things I learnt were about lock picking. It was pretty, so I took it. I didn't know what it was then. I knew my father would be angry when he discovered it was lost, so I hid it in a hole in a stuffed bear, the one I took with me when we came here.

"When I got older, and when Aerith was studying to become a white mage, she was talking about the Holy spell and what it would do. So I showed her this. Turns out, it's important." She gave the materia for me to hold onto for a second. "It has the power to protect the World. That's what gives Holy its ability to save the planet… the power in this materia." Her voice was reverent. Yuffie turned and took another sphere from the box. "This, on the other hand, is the black materia." It was another marble-sized sphere, only unlike the white materia, this one was dark, and didn't glitter at all. "It has the power to destroy the earth. This one Aerith had found… her master gave it to her before she retired, and told her to take care of it."

I ogled the tiny orbs; amazed so much power could be in each one. "These materia… They're light and darkness."

Yuffie nodded. "I keep them both safe here. No one expects them to be hidden under the floorboards." She tucked the black materia away. "Come on. We haven't got much time."

We crossed the hallway into Aerith's room. She sat there, feet tucked under her. "Good, you found it," Aerith said, taking the tiny sphere. "I hope it can help us."

"Do… do you know what to do?" I asked.

"Yes." She was nervous, though, I could tell. "I… I'm going to need to concentrate. You two are going to need to leave."

"Well… then how do we know if it works?" Yuffie asked timidly.

Aerith smiled. "If we're all still alive tomorrow."

"Be… be careful," Yuffie stuttered. "Aerith…" She looked down.

I put an arm around Yuffie. "Come on. She needs to do this."

The two of us walked down the hallway and back into the living room, sitting on the couch.

"How come you never told me you used to be a thief?" I asked. "I mean, it's no big deal now, though how come you never found it important to tell me you had the two most powerful weapons on this whole world under your floorboards?"

"It just… never came up, I guess," Yuffie murmured, clutching her fists to her chest the same manner as Aerith. Suddenly, she glanced at me, eyes glimmering in an odd way. "Demyx… I've been trying to figure it out. Ever since you freaked out in the office…"

"What is it?"

"…I think there's something I can't remember." She paused. "I mean, I can remember perfectly well when I was really little- like when I stole the white materia. But I can't remember coming here, or anything right before then."

"You were young."

"I was_ six_, Demyx. I wasn't that young." Yuffie closed her eyes for a moment. "I know I said I couldn't remember much before, but when I try, really hard, there's just… nothing there." She laughed once. "I can't even remember what my father looked like."

I took her hands. Yuffie was starting to panic, between the stress of the oncoming invasion and struggling to remember her childhood.

"I think something _happened_," she told me. "Something bad."

"Don't think about it right now," I said, stroking her hair. "We've got to focus on getting through this."

Yuffie let out an odd, hysterical noise. She threw her arms around me. "I don't know why, but I'm _scared_. And the sad thing is, we saw this coming. We just chalked it up to a fluctuation in the numbers. God, we were so _stupid_."

"What could we have possibly done?"

"Maybe we could have gotten everyone out of here."

"Where would we have all gone?"

"I don't know! Traverse Town!"

"It's not completely hopeless," I whispered, keeping my voice soft so as to not disturb Aerith. "We've still got Holy. We can still fight. It's not over."

"Right. It's not over." She nodded once.

I kissed her once, lightly. "Let's go over to Merlin's. Maybe there's something we can do there."

* * *

The town was in full-fledged panic. Civilians ran everywhere, dragging with them things, kids, pets. The gummi ship ports eventually had to be shut down, because the excess energy was shortening out the engines. We couldn't even try to get people under control- there was no point. Everyone was simply set on the fact that this was the end of the world.

I had all my hopes pinned on Aerith's spell. This had to work. If she had the determination, and the power, she could do this in half the time necessary. And if we had eight hours… well, that would be plenty.

Honestly, outside of my superficial attempts to calm myself, I did believe that we were about to die. Death wasn't what I was afraid of. Yesterday, I'd come to terms that I was dying, and it was no big deal. I was afraid for everyone else, though, and the lives they could have had once this world was fully rebuilt.

I was afraid of the pain. Would the world suddenly collapse, consumed by darkness? Would the Heartless come and hunt us all down? Would we burn to the ground, becoming nothing more than a ball of rock in the void of space?

The sky was getting darker, and darker, and darker. Lights burnt in all the windows of the houses that hadn't been abandoned. It felt like the middle of the night, even though it was still morning.

I tried my best to remain calm. I was still trying to convince myself that this would all work out. I couldn't help but glance up at the sky every few seconds, trying to imagine it was getting lighter.

I reached over and took Yuffie's hand, wondering if she felt nearly as anxious as I did. "I just… wonder…" The sound of my own voice surprised me. "What's going to happen."

"I think we all are," she whispered. "Like you said, Demyx, it's not hopeless."

I turned and touched her face. I kissed her again, more deeply this time. "Even if tonight is the end…"

"Which it won't be," Yuffie interjected.

"I'm just glad I met you." I thought the worlds would be much more rushed, more embarrassed, but they weren't.

"Yeah… me too."

We kissed again.

"Wait… Yuffie." I held both of her shoulders. "I just want to say… that… well, I lo…"

My words were cut off by a loud siren blast. After it had caught everyone's attention, a voice crackled from seemingly nowhere.

"_All citizens of Hollow Bastion, this is Cid Highwind, the technical director of the Restoration committee…_"

"'Technical director'?" I murmured to Yuffie.

She shrugged. "We never had to use the PA before."

"_I just… uh… wanted to say that I, uh, don't want everyone to panic. I mean, I know that somehow everyone heard what's going on, and let's face it, who _isn't_ doing to panic, but please… keep your panicking to yourselves and try to remain outwardly calm._"

Yuffie chuckled. "He's babbling."

Evidentially, someone had grabbed the mike, or whatever, from him. I immediately recognized Leon's voice. "_What we really meant to say is that we need everyone receptive of any and all defense plans. The gummi ship ports have been put under lockdown; the energy building in the atmosphere is too strong to permit any ships to leave, so there will be no evacuation. I need everyone to return home, and proceed to lock down. This is serious._

"_What's actually going on is that since the Heartless population has started to fall, their energy somehow became darkness, and it will come to get us- in full. Don't worry just yet, we have things under control; we have an offensive strategy. But in order for that strategy to work out, we need everyone to go under lockdown. Once it's safe to go outside again, we will ring the all clear._"

The PA crackled out, and a confused chattering broke out amongst the townspeople, who finally began to disperse.

"I guess that's our cue to go back," I murmured.

* * *

Cid was typing rapidly on the computer when we came in. He looked sweaty, slightly disoriented. I wondered how long it had been since he slept.

Just as the door shut behind us, thunder crackled. Yuffie looked momentarily startled, before quickly composing her expression.

In the back of the room, Merlin appeared. He'd only done so twice ever since I came here, each a brief visit. "What's going on?" He asked in this angry sort of voice. "All of sudden, I sense this huge energy spike!"

Yuffie rounded on him all of a sudden. "Where the _fuck_ have you been?" She yelled. That was the first time I'd ever heard her swear. Leon winced. "We could have really used your help, you know? Normally I kind of excuse your absence, but our _world_ is in danger, okay, and you show up at the last minute and speak like it's _our_ fault."

I hadn't been aware she was keeping her emotions bottled in like that. She was partially mad at Merlin, but I knew that she was just taking out her excess fear and stress on him.

Merlin barely so much as blinked. "Believe me, I've been trying to get here for some time," he said in a stern voice. "This energy… it's blocking anything from coming in. I'm guessing that 'anything' would only mean anything good." He looked up through his glasses. "Since the last time I visited… it has been nearly impossible just to teleport here. Maybe it's because I'm getting old, but I think it's something else, am I correct?"

Leon just stared at him, unsure of what to say.

Yuffie swore at him. Thunder boomed again. I took her by the shoulders. "Let's go into the other room," I told her in a soft voice. "You need to calm down."

She glared at me. "Like I can be _calm_ in a situation like this!" She looked like she wanted to punch me, and in my current condition, she could easily win over me in a fight.

I pushed her gently. She didn't fight me, but continued eyeing Merlin with such a stare that I was surprised the wizard didn't melt into a puddle. I was glad I wasn't the receptor of it.

I shut the door behind us and lifted her up onto the cot, sitting across from her.

Yuffie clutched the edge of the bed. She was trembling all over. "Oh, my God," she whispered over and over.

I took her hand. "Just breathe, okay?"

She nodded, idly. It kind of disturbed me to see the independent, tough Yuffie breaking down like this. It kind of divided her into two people in my head- the cheerful, ever-strong girl I'd met, and this. I wondered which one was the real her, or if this was just developed through terror. "I've never freaked out like this before," Yuffie said. "I don't really understand _why_. It's just that… this can't happen again. Not a third time."

I didn't say anything, waited for her to finish.

"It had to have happened in Wutai. You know I said I couldn't remember back then? It's still not quite clear, but this… situation… it's bringing it out. And I don't like being scared." Tears watered in her eyes. "I'm scared, okay? Scared witless."

"You're allowed to be."

She nodded again. "But now I'm going off on Merlin… I can't stand this, the pressure. I just _have_ to know how this turns out. Is the world going to be destroyed? Are we going to be saved by Holy? I just don't know, and that terrified me." She shook her head. "I don't feel like _me_ anymore. I would have _loved_ this fight, a few months ago. Or maybe… the world won't end, but some of us will die, fighting."

I wanted to tell her it was okay, but it wasn't. There was no way I could reassure her, because I didn't quite know myself.

Instead, I kissed her again. "We've just got to wait, is all. Don't think about it. I… I'm scared too, but if we really hope for the best, maybe that's what will happen."

* * *

Throughout the next two hours, the storm grew steadily worse. The rain sounded more like hail. Lightning strikes and cracks of thunder came out of nowhere to startle us, remind us of what was going on.

Yuffie and I remained in the other room, trying to forget the situation, but it was nearly impossible. We tried to talk about nothing, like we had when we first met.

God! Back then I thought I was healthy, and we'd been a relatively _normal_ couple. We could just be ourselves, with each other, and didn't have to worry about anything more important other than what was for lunch.

Then we discovered I was poisoned. Things really started to roll downhill. After that, the world was starting to end, and we became like a tragic couple in a bad romance novel. We became people other than ourselves. It was not fair, in a lot of ways. That was difficult to accept.

There was a lot of kissing, over the next hours, like we somehow knew this would be the last time we would get together in any way.

Finally, the sky became so dark and the storm so intense that Leon called us out of the back room.

"Yuffie," he said in an odd voice. "You've got to go to Aerith's and protect her. We've got to make sure she finishes her spell."

She nodded, looking more tired than I had ever seen her. "Okay. Squall, I… _Leon_…" They hugged each other tightly. Cid and I exchanged sad glances. "I'm going to miss you," she said. "You've been like my brother."

"I'm sorry, Yuffie," he muttered. "I don't know why it had to turn out like this."

She let go of him after a moment, smiled weakly at me, and then crossed over to Cid to say goodbye.

"Thank you," I said to Leon. "For everything."

He shrugged. "We're friends."

I hugged him quickly. Yuffie and I put on our raincoats and stood for a long moment at the door, all of us eyeing one another.

"G… goodbye," Yuffie murmured.

* * *

-singing- The ending is CRAP!  
I don't know why. I don't like it. Yuffie is totally OOC, even more than her usual difference that I put there. Arg. I don't know how to fix it, though.

And yes, materia. I've been trying more and more to get into the FFVII realm. I've only owned and played Crisis Core, which I haven't even finished because the leveling up system is almost at random _ I'm a level 41 and I need to be a level 60. But that has almost nothing to do with anything.

About the white mage certificate- in my mini-canon, normal humans can study to become mages, like you would become certified as a nurse or like you would take college courses. I figured it was a better explanation to how Aerith got her powers than the usual 'it's Kingdom Hearts, who cares about backstory?' XD

So tell me what you think! (Though I'm sure you will, you guys usually do.)  
Also, checkout my poll! ^-^

Thank you _**TheChel, Ravenr20, SoraIsMyHomeboy, The Ninja And The Writer, Mystical**_, and Anna for reviewing last chapter. Uh... guys? Not to be picky, you know I love you, but could I see perhaps a few more reviews?  
Next update: June 9th


	19. Microcrack

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

Chapter Nineteen  
Microcrack

Yuffie and I didn't speak as we walked over to Aerith's. There was this unpleasant melancholy feeling that hung over the both of us. We claimed hope; yet, I had this nagging suspicion that the last time we would ever see Leon and Cid had just happened.

Leon was like her brother. Cid was like her father. I wondered just how much that had to hurt, considering it hurt me a whole lot.

I put an arm around her waist. There was nothing I could say. "It's going to be okay," was obviously out of the question, so was "Don't worry, it'll be fine."

So I kept quiet, my usual default, it seemed.

Aerith had apparently left the door unlocked. Yuffie took her coat off and pulled out her shuriken. She smiled wearily at me.

"Why don't you go check on her?" She asked. "I'll stay here in case anything happens. Just try not to make too much noise."

I couldn't say no to her. I headed into the back room. It was mostly dark, aside from one lamp and a bunch of candles. There was some incense burning. A shallow dresser had been turned into an altar.

Aerith hadn't so much as twitched. Her eyes were shut, and her hands were clasped over her heart. I even suspected she wasn't breathing. I could barely see the white materia clutched in between her palms. The spell book was open on the table.

She was deep in meditation. I wondered what that was like, if she knew what was going on or was in some other world entirely.

There was a stick note on a mirror near where she knelt. There was one word written on it.

_Pray_.

I wondered if she directed the note at me. Probably she knew someone would check on her. Aerith had said she could get this done in perhaps half the time- it had been only three hours, yet it felt like several lifetimes to me.

I went over to the altar, giving her a wide berth so I wouldn't accidentally bump into her. I knelt and clasped my hands, just as she did.

What now?

Admittedly, I hadn't really thought of religion much as a kid or now. Technically I had been raised as a Shinto, yet I didn't even know much about that. Had she meant to pray for it to work, or just meditate?

_Um…_ I began awkwardly in my head. _Whoever can hear me… please let this work. If not for me, than for my girlfriend and my friends. They've been through too much. I can't let them down. They deserve to live._

When I heard no divine voice in response, I shook my head. "Make this work, and I'll believe in you," I muttered.

Aerith inhaled besides me. I tensed, suddenly wondering if I'd just ruined all her hard work, but she exhaled and settled back into that weird, semi-alive state she was in.

I went back into the living room. Abruptly, I felt exhausted. I sat next to Yuffie. She looked at me, holding back tears. "How… how is she?"

"She's fine," I murmured. "Still praying. Still conscious. She's so deeply into meditation she only breathes once every few minutes."

Yuffie nodded, and laid her head onto my shoulder.

We'd already pretty much said our goodbyes. There was just one thing left I had to say, but I was sure that would only make her sadder. Words that would have made us ecstatic a week ago now left me feeling drained, and sad.

There was nothing left to say, or do. This was the end. We just had to wait it out. I felt badly about it, sure, but oddly accepting. I squinted in the semidarkness. "Is that a piano?"

"Yes. It's probably out of tune. Tifa and I used to take lessons here."

"_You_ know how to play piano?"

"Yes," she said defensively. "I… I forgot most of it, though."

I went over to the piano. It wasn't dusty, but the keys were yellowed. It _was_ out of tune. I winced. There wasn't time to fix it. This would do for now. Yuffie came over and sat next to me on the bench.

"You play?"

I hadn't been able to play sitar over the past few days. Summoning it had been difficult. I wondered, in a flash, why I _hadn't_ suspected poison. There had to have been something wrong with me from the start. I just hadn't paid attention. "…I play pretty much anything," I told her with a small smile. "Music is… a big part of me. It's just that… recently, with so much going on…"

"Thievery used to be a very big part of me," she said evenly.

We knew both nothing and everything about each other. I blinked. "Maybe if I play quietly…"

"What?"

"There's this song I wrote a while ago," I told her. "For the piano. I don't have the score anymore, but I remember it pretty well."

"Well, go ahead. Just play softly."

It was like a switch had been turned on in my brain. It was hard not getting caught up and pounding on this thing as hard as I could. But the song was soft and downcast, kind of matching the mood of the day. The piano was like an extension of me… I could almost feel the history in it, of all the failed lessons, the mediocre Chopsticks played at parties. The keys were out of tune, but it would have one day healed if there had been time. That made the song all the more haunting.

Yuffie watched in an odd sort of wonder as I played the song. Her hand hovered just above one of mine, pretending to press the keys with me.

When I'd finished the song, I turned towards her.

"That was beautiful," she said. "But it was so sad… what is the song called?"

"'Via Purifico,'" I informed her. "There was just… this dream I had. I was trapped in this maze of a dungeon, and I couldn't find my way out. There were no windows, so the whole thing felt like it was crushing in on me. No matter where I went, I was lost, going in circles. This song was in my head when I woke up."

"You wrote this… when you were a Nobody?"

I nodded. We didn't usually speak much of that time. "I haven't gotten around to much writing yet."

"Then I wonder… just how beautiful your songs would have been now that you have a heart."

Already we were using the past tense. "We're not dead," I murmured.

"…I know."

"We might not die."

"Demyx," Yuffie said, "You… you really don't believe that, do you?"

"Not as much as I'd like." I looked out the partially covered window. The sky was pitch black, like it was night, and this was only early afternoon. I took her hand. "Look, I just want to say… before this is all over… Yuffie, I… I love you." The words came much more easily than I thought, and fell into silence. I flushed.

"Demyx…" her eyes watered again. My heart lurched. Yuffie laughed, a tear or two slipping free. "I… I love you too."

I wiped away the tear.

We both laughed in that odd, sad way. I hugged her tightly.

I wished we could just stay like this forever, here in this house with Aerith praying in the other room, just sitting together on the piano bench.

The hug ended with a kiss. Why did things have to end this way? I kept asking myself that, because, well, you just think of those types of things.

There threatened to be real passion between us. I could feel it weighing heavily on me. There was just no _time_ for anything really serious to happen between us.

I just couldn't let go. I couldn't pull away. We just sat there, kissing and kissing and kissing, until my lips felt like they were on fire and we were both pretty much crying hysterically.

We only pulled apart when the lightning struck again, this time close to the house. Yuffie clutched at me.

"It's almost time," she murmured.

"I know."

"Should I… go out there, or should I just stay here, and we'll wait for them together?"

"If you're going out there, I'm going with you," I said

She shook her head. "Demyx, you're so weak… I'm afraid that if Holy really _does_ work, you'll be killed in battle before the Heartless are gone."

"But I'm dying anyway," I reminded her. "Either way, it's…" I gasped.

Yuffie gripped my shoulders. "What? What is it?"

I turned my eyes toward the window. I could smell it, through the narrow crack in the door. Darkness- death and burning fire and _pain_. "…They're coming."

Yuffie swallowed.

"…I can smell them."

She pulled away from me and went to get her shuriken.

"Yuffie, I'm going with you."

"Demyx, just stay here."

"No! I'm not letting you go out there!" _I don't want to just wait for you to die._ I completed the thought.

"Demyx, you're staying here." Her look was firm, almost mean. "I'll… I'll lock the door if I have to." She took a key out of her pocket.

"Yuffie…"

She was almost trembling. I took her into my arms.

"Why do we have to _love_ each other so much?" I whispered. "Go, then." I let go of her. "Go out there… and don't get yourself killed."

She saluted weakly. "I'll try."

Then the door slammed, and Yuffie was gone.

I sat on the couch, imaging the taste of blood at the back of my mouth. I started sobbing.

_What kind of boyfriend am I? I just let her walk to her death!_

I could barely catch my breath, I was crying so hard. I stumbled over to the window and tried to find her, in the utter darkness. There was nothing. It was thundering out there, and she had a metal weapon…

I choked on my own tears. I had never cried so much in my life, between yesterday and today.

What would it have been like, if I wasn't poisoned and the world wasn't ending? We could have been together for years. The passion wouldn't have had to be so short and intense. We could have gotten to know each other. We could have gone to the beach together, with Leon and Aerith and Cid. Maybe we would have even made love, or gotten married, or… or…

I gripped the top of a dresser for balance. I was getting dizzy, between the scent of darkness and the panic.

Or anything. Anything but this. If I had to die, why couldn't she live, and our friends? Why did we all have to go?

All of a sudden, I heard a piercing scream. I knew, right away, whom the scream belonged to.

My heart pounded. Adrenaline flooded through me.

_I knew this would happen_.

With barely a thought, I opened the door and stepped out into the fake night.

"Yuffie!"

* * *

The fires… all I saw were fires.

I had barely stepped outside. Heartless hadn't even showed up yet. But all of a sudden there was a fierce pounding inside my head, and a crippling weakness washed over me with the headache.

My shuriken clattered to the ground. My knees hit the cobbles. I clutched the stones, fingers getting scraped.

The raid on Wutai. I remembered it now, oh so clearly, as a small, small child… with my father in the military building where we lived with my mother… The Shinra troops barged in. They'd wanted out land… wanted to mine the mako energy… When my father refused, we went to war…

They found where we lived. They invaded the place, gathering all the people, lined them up, and offered my father one last choice as he and my mother clutched at me. Let them poison Wutai land… or all these people would die.

My father hadn't decided quickly enough. All of a sudden, one of the infantrymen shot a woman, and they all fired. In the resulting chaos, my father passed me to my mother and told her to run… But, before my very own eyes, she was shot in the head, pitching me forward and staining me with her blood.

My father grabbed me… we ran… Somehow, I had that materia-filled teddy bear… we got to his private ship… and flew out of that world.

The agony, emotional and physical, was overwhelming. I couldn't help it. I screamed.

"Mama!" I wasn't sure where that came from. I barely knew my mother… but everything was so harsh and vivid and…

"Yuffie?" Someone grabbed my shoulders.

* * *

Oh, god, she was trembling all over. Yuffie was uninjured- the Heartless hadn't even appeared yet- but the scent of darkness must have woken those sleeping memories. She was staring vacantly at the sky, eyes full of horror.

"You're okay," I kept saying. "Everything's fine…"

She came to again, with a sudden cough. "Demyx…"

The scent of darkness was closing in on us, faster than ever. My pulse was skyrocketing with the fear. I could feel the blood pounding in my head… circulating poison…

"I know what happened to me… on that day in Wutai…"

I could hear the hissing, low and intense, just beyond us.

"My mother… those officers killed my mother…"

I could see them now, those big, beady yellow eyes… The scent of darkness literally was making me sick.

Yuffie grabbed me and pulled me into a kiss.

We were still embracing when they converged.

All of a sudden, the warmth in my arms was gone, and the Heartless around us disappeared in a shroud of black mist. Yuffie was clutching her shuriken, a smudge of darkness made physical on her cheek. She grabbed me and pulled me up. There was a sudden change in her- her look was no longer torn, sad, and feeble. A new strength had awakened in her.

I summoned my sitar.

"Let's kick some ass," she murmured.

It started to rain, to pour. The sky was roiling with thunder. Somewhat instinctively, the two of us started to lay waste to the enemies. The rain was lending me power- all I had to do was direct it. Yuffie slashed, throwing her shuriken and all her throwing knives. I managed to keep the Heartless a good few feet away from me, slashing through them with simple waves of my mind. The fight grabbed me- unlike any of the other battles I'd been in, I was able to see attack openings and kill waves of Heartless effortlessly, with my water. My fingers were starting to go numb on the strings, but I didn't care.

Yuffie barked orders, telling me where to hit. We worked together, a perfect team, the mage and the ninja. I had this feeling of utter absorption, of utter _oneness._ It felt like we were fighting as one.

But they wouldn't stop coming. While, for the first fifteen minutes or so, I was able to fight perfectly on adrenaline, I could steadily feel it start to wear out. I could keep the rain moving, but if my body was tiring, it wouldn't be long before the strain added up and I'd be on my hands and knees.

We could potentially be fighting for hours, until Holy kicked in… or until Yuffie and I could no longer fight.

Thankfully, she'd put many ethers and potions into her pouch, and we hadn't had to use them yet. But neither could restore physical energy, nor make us stronger.

I was getting weaker. Even though I was not summoning the water, my weakened soul took all my attacks as if I was. My sitar was getting so heavy… I could barely stand.

Yuffie kept firing away, moving as quickly as she had when we started. All her training was coming in handy, and she was enjoying this fight.

My heart, once beating so quickly from fear, was beating this quickly from exertion. I remembered something Zexion had told me… the body and soul are very delicately interwoven, so use of the soul's entire power doesn't waste the body. But my soul… it was becoming brittle. Unglued.

It wouldn't be long before my body was destroyed or my heart stopped from the strain. Yuffie had been right.

But what was I supposed to do? Leave her there, lying on the stones, food for Heartless?

My breathing was labored, vision blurred. I couldn't draw enough breath. I looked up at the sky… it was lightening… Yes, it was lightening!

That must have been Holy! She had been able to summon it after all!

Suddenly, the Heartless gathered into one wave, a massive, final attack. They surged up- I poised to defend myself, but before I could go anything more, it grabbed us with its massive fists.

The threads of darkness cut straight through my clothes and through my skin. I had never endured anything more_ painful_. A thousand shattered illusions ran through my mind of the worst nightmares I could ever have.

Yuffie screamed again from somewhere to my right. Her new memories… so newly awakened… this darkness might just shatter her.

_No!_

I took a deep breath. My heart was beating at leave two hundred beats a minute.

…_I'msorry…_

I pulled my power deep from inside of me, from the alcove containing my strongest attack…

I did not use my sitar. Clutched against me, it was useless in this attack. I didn't need a conductor anymore. I crossed my arms over my heart. The power fought, resisted, as my instincts struggled to keep me alive. But I tugged harder…

Abruptly, a huge geyser caught the wave of darkness, destroying in, the water supplemented with light, its mother element. It continued spreading out, killing all the Heartless that were appearing. With a twitch of my mind, I set Yuffie down gently.

I had never felt so powerful. I knew that if I so chose, I could take on the darkness this minute… and win.

But I was a weak, sick human. This moment of power, true knowledge, and apprehension wouldn't last.

As soon as my attack faded, my body jerked backwards. Something ripped almost audibly right down the center of my chest. I screamed. The tendrils of darkness before now felt like nothing more than feathers across skin.

I collapsed, Yuffie barely catching me.

I couldn't breathe. There was no air to draw in. My heart continued that two hundred per pace, in fact, quickening it. The cuts from the darkness were bleeding copiously, far more than they would normally.

"Demyx? Was that… you? You did that?" Yuffie's voice was weak.

I stared up at her and nodded, once.

"Did it… do this to you?"

Another nod.

"Why? Why did you save me?"

"Be…cause… I couldn't just let this destroy you, or our home… I was meant to die, anyway." They said there was always some realization when you died, and I could feel mine. "Maybe I was never meant to be here… or be human again… but that's okay. I saved you, and I atoned for whatever I did wrong when I was human that made me a Nobody… maybe I'll go to Heaven…" I turned from her and threw up entirely blood. The blood dispersed quickly in the rain.

"Yuffie… I love you… but you have to move on, okay? Fine someone else. Live happily. And maybe…"

She shook her head weakly.

"Maybe we'll meet again, someday."

My heart… slowed. Stopped.

There was a white flash.

Everything was gone.

* * *

Before you even say anything, let me clarify... _this story is not over yet._ I still have quite aways to go, so before you panic, wait for the next chapter.

The song Demyx played on the piano is 'Via Purifico' from the Final Fantasy X sountrack. Don't confuse it with 'Path of Repentence' both sound very similar, but Via Purifico is more complicated, and prettier, in my opinion. Look if up if you don't know what I'm talking about. I felt it suited the mood of this chapter.

Thank you _**Draginninja, Chiaroscurist, Ravenr20, TheChel, SoraIsMyHomeboy, Mystical, **_and Anna for reviewing last chapter. I really love writing this story, but could I please have some more reviews? Say anything. Feedback is a big part of writing, to me. I want to know how I'm doing.

Next update: June 16th


	20. Reaching for Light

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

Chapter Twenty

Reaching for Light

"No…" I shook his limp form, temporarily blinded by the flash of white light. "Demyx!" The tears flowed thick and fast. I kissed his lips, and when I received no response, tried to do CPR. I searched for a Phoenix Down, but couldn't find one…

His eyes were closed. Aside from the blood, he might have just been sleeping.

"Demyx!"

It was still raining buckets. Ironically, the skies had actually _brightened…_ I realized that it was the work of Holy.

Aerith had come through after all. The world was safe.

But Demyx was dead.

* * *

I must have sat there for at least an hour, sometimes crying senselessly, sometimes numb, unfeeling. I was soaked to the bone, still holding tightly onto his body. I couldn't move. My legs were soldered to the ground, my fingers locked around his shoulders.

It was only when I felt a warm hand on my shoulder did I look up. Squall was staring at me, first with what appeared to be utter happiness at our victory, then, as he saw Demyx, limp and unmoving in my arms, I saw a familiar emotion flicker across his face… pain.

"He's… dead, isn't he…?"

I nodded once.

"Yuffie… I am so, so sorry… I know how much you loved him…"

"He gave his life for me… used an attack that must have shattered him completely… you should have seen it, Squall. It was so powerful…"

He gently pried my fingers away from the corpse. "I'll carry him over to Merlin's… we can figure out what to do from there." He took off his raincoat and put in on me, a pretty pointless move, seeing as I was soaked and he would just get wet too, but he meant well.

Like a child, I looped my arm through his and let Squall walk me home.

The next minutes were something of a blur. When Cid first saw Squall and I, his eyes brightened. "Guys! We won! I can't believe it! That magic worked after all!" His eyes focused… laid upon Demyx. "Oh, no…"

He turned to me.

I fixed a look on him that hopefully said not to say anything. "I… I'm going to check on Aerith, okay?"

"Are you sure?" Squall began. "Maybe you should change out of your wet clothes first…"

"I'm fine!" I snapped, feeling tears in my eyes.

I ran out of there, back to my home.

God dammit! I had never felt pain this _acute_ before. It was nearly physical- I couldn't breathe without feeling the grief.

So much for strong and independent now. So much had happened today… so much… This morning, curled in his arms, felt like a million years ago.

Not to mention, my memories…

I had to stay strong. I had to keep on living, like he said. I had to do him justice, especially since he saved my life.

(Which, no doubt, even if he had been healthy, he would have done, but that was missing the point…)

I walked in the house. I was dripping water, leaving damp footprints behind me.

The piano bench. Oh god…

Why can't I think of nothing but his death?

He said he loved me. And… I loved him, too… I touched my lips. I could taste the blood from our last kiss, even though I logically knew that it had been washed away.

I strode wearily into Aerith's bedroom. She was still at the altar, though she was breathing heavily and clutching her chest. I walked over and hugged her.

"Yuffie… you're soaked…." She was breathless.

That was like her, to be concerned about me even though she was so weak and tired.

I took her shoulders and helped her stand up. She was sweaty and flushed. She looked at me, her eyes wide and sad. I automatically knew she knew what happened.

"Come on, Aerith. You've got to rest…" I walked her over to the bed. While the pain was still there, it almost felt good to take care of someone.

She sat down weakly.

"All the way."

She nodded, and lay down.

"You've got to rest. You've done so much…" My tears were overflowing.

Aerith brushed away the tears. "There's a vial in my cupboard… it's purple, kind of a round bottle. Take a tablespoon and it will help you sleep."

I nodded. "Thank you… I kind of want to be alone." I pulled the blankets up around her and kissed her on the forehead. She smiled at me again and quickly passed out from exhaustion.

I went into the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I turned on the hot water and plugged the drain.

Would it really all be okay? Could it be? Ever?

I stripped off my wet clothes and climbed into the warm water, letting it cloud my ears.

What the hell am I supposed to do? My mind kept running in circles. The world was safe now, yes. I was healthy, yes. Aerith was still alive. But… My heart ached.

I plunged my head under the water and came up gasping. I needed sleep, which was one thing. My whole body ached from all that fighting, and because I'd sat in the rain so long unprotected, I'd most likely get a cold…

What would I tell Sora? The thought was random and unprecedented. Was he expecting to find Demyx? The two hadn't seen each other in a long time… I could imagine that. _Oh, I'm sorry, while you were gone; he came back, fell in love with me, and gave his all into an attack that saved my life._

A thought dawned on me. Maybe I could take his place. I had always wanted to be more involved… and somehow, this made me feel better.

Once I was finished, I dried myself off and put dry pajamas. In the seconds before the medicine took effect, I curled in next to Aerith, desperately needing the comfort of my big sister.

* * *

The morning sun was hot in my eyes. Even though it was late morning, I could tell by the consistency of the light, Aerith was still fast asleep. In my numbed state, I limped into the kitchen and made myself some tea.

Aerith would need to be taken care of. I focused myself on that. If she wouldn't be sleeping for hours, I subconsciously knew that she would need to rest, and take it as easily as possible. Which meant, all her patients might potentially come to me… I knew little when it came to healing, but I had a stash of potions that could easily be replaced…

It felt good, knowing I had something to do. I drank the tea, and then remembered exactly why I never drank it before- it was bitter, with a funny aftertaste. I grabbed the honey and added a generous dollop, and a second.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in." My voice cracked. I cleared my throat and repeated myself, louder.

It was Squall. He looked like he hadn't slept. He looked at me. "How's Aerith?" He asked, sitting across from me.

"Resting. She needs to take it easy."

"…And how are you feeling?"

My fingers closed around the mug. "About as good as expected. I'm alive; I'm uninjured."

"And yet…"

"I won't heal if you keep picking at the wounds."

Squall scowled. "And I say you won't 'heal' if you don't talk about it. You can't bottle up what happened like usual, Yuffie. I can see it's becoming too much, especially since a whole lot happened yesterday."

I inhaled a little shakily. "Maybe not now… I just don't know."

"You know I'll listen."

"Of… course, Squall. Thank you."

"Demyx was… a good person. They'll be a hole in the committee now."

I appreciated that he was trying to make nice. "Well, what about Sora? He only really came here to rejoin with Sora…"

"We'll have to tell him the truth. Demyx has been invaluable… between the information he gave us, and the fact that he saved you."

"…Yes."

Squall grasped my hand. "It's okay to be sad, Yuffie."

"I know. And… I am."

"Okay. I'd be a little scared if you weren't."

He meant to make me smile, and he did. "I'm… I'm going to stay here and take care of Aerith. I kind of need some time alone." She would probably sleep all day, anyway.

"Okay." Squall stood. I had a feeling he'd agree to anything I said, so long as I wasn't totally hysterical. Or had he implied that _was_ what he wanted? "I'll send Cid to check up on you later."

"Thanks." But it's not necessary.

Once Squall had left, the little house felt empty, between the sleeping Aerith and I. With nothing else to do, and with my thoughts closing in on me quickly, I went over to the little piano bench, still pulled out. I sat down, fingers clutching the edge.

Demyx's song was burned in my memory. I could remember it perfectly. It was so beautiful… I lifted my hands; let my fingertips brush the keys. I hadn't played in so long… I probably couldn't remember…

I sat there for a long time, pretending he was in my spot, playing the song. I forced my mind to go completely blank. I must have been there for an hour before I remembered to check up on Aerith.

She blinked and smiled at me wearily. "Good… good morning."

"What are you doing awake?" I asked her. "You should still be asleep."

"I know I should," she said, propping herself up on an elbow. "But before I could let myself fall back asleep… I remembered something. I think it might interest you."

"…What would that be?"

She opened her mouth, wondering where to begin. "Yuffie… when I cast Holy…"

"What? What happened?"

"The white materia… it gave me this temporary insight. For a moment, I felt like I knew everything, that I'd become a sort of goddess."

I nodded to show I was listening.

"Well, you see… Holy heals. When I felt Demyx's soul slip free…"

My face was expressionless. I would not let myself build up hopes…

"See, usually when a person dies, their body fades into the light once the soul is gone. But his… hasn't, because of Holy."

"But he's not breathing. Not moving."

She looked exasperated. "It's called 'Sleep,' Yuffie, with a capital S. It's a type of stasis… the body doesn't need to breathe, or eat, or anything, really. Maybe… it depends what happened to him, but possibly… his soul could return."

I inhaled. "But he's dead! I know he is!"

She blinked. "Well, did you check his pulse?"

* * *

There was… an odd throbbing in my ears, and a type of weird pressure. It's one of those situations when you know everything's so strange and screwed up that you know when you open your eyes, you know it'll make everything worse.

Here there was no pain, no anything, really. I knew, in some sort of bizarre way, that yes, I'd really died.

Heart stopped. I'd felt it.

The lurch of pain I felt- it was purely emotional- caused my eyes to snap open. I was falling. Very slowly, but I was falling, as if through water. And yet, I felt no need to breathe. Yuffie. Oh, my gosh…

Was this an afterlife? How was she? Aerith had just saved us.

My feet touched ground. I looked around wearily, not looking down at myself because I wasn't _sure_ what I would see. All around me was blueness, like the bottom of the ocean.

Just where the hell was I?

In front of me was a woman. Her hair was thick and white, but her face was young, her eyes a brilliant blue. She wore what looked like a mix between a kimono and a chiffon gown.

"Hello," she said in an odd type of voice.

"Hi," I said in response. "Where… where is this place?"

"It's the lifestream," she said simply. "It's where you go after you die, but before you go to on to the afterlife."

"Oh," I replied, feeling oddly numb. "Nice place… a little too blue."

"That's because normally no one ever sees it," she explained. "You're the first human I've actually seen here in a while…"

"What do you mean? Doesn't everyone come through here?"

"Oh yes, their souls. They're trying to find their own ways. I haven't had this choice to offer in… a thousand years?" She wrinkled her nose. "Somehow, almost as the same time as your death, the spell Holy was performed… Well, that means your body is still alive, if you want to go back to it."

I blinked. "You're kidding."

She smirked. "No, I am certainly _not_. Some god must favor you, boy. You don't understand how lucky this is."

"I can just _go back_?"

"Yes. If you so choose."

I paused. "It can't be that easy."

She shrugged. "The spell was meant to heal, and to protect." She came forward and put a hand on my chest. "If I look closely, I can still see the scars…" She shook her head. "Your soul was so broken… this spell healed it completely. You can go back. Unless you'd rather move on."

For some reason I… hesitated.

But why would I? I had Yuffie, and I had to find Axel and Xigbar and maybe even Luxord… They were my responsibility; they'd help save my life.

And I had to face Xemnas.

I suddenly knew that with a certainty. My soul was healed now… I had to confront him; I had to help Sora _kill_ him…

The thought stunned me. I'd never felt a desire to see someone dead before. Something inside me was suddenly so opposed to him, rather than dead set on avoiding him.

"I've got to go back," I told her. "I've got something I have to finish."

She smiled knowingly. "Yes, yes you do." She put her palm on my forehead… and pushed.

Suddenly, I was falling again.

* * *

XD See? I told you not to panic.  
I apologize for the beginning of this chapter. It was difficult to write, mostly because I don't like writing straight-up grief. It's melodramatic. I hope I portrayed Yuffie in a realistic way. Criticism is welcome. I don't really like the quality of this chapter.

I've been busy lately, between exams and my volunteering. I'm exhausted right now, actually. But I did watch Princess Mononoke for the first time last night. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would! Excellent plot, wonderful characters, not to mention the theme at the center of the whole thing was amazing... Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are geniuses.

Oh! I've also gotten around to finishing the fourth chapter of Sweetest Poison. Not sure if I'll post it tonight, but look out for it. And check out my poll! Also, Happy Father's Day!

Thank you _**Mystical, Zemby, TheChel, SoraIsMyHomeboy, The Ninja And The Writer, Ravenr20, The Moon's Berserk, **_and Anna for reviewing last chapter.  
Next update: June 23rd


	21. Waking Up

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

Chapter Twenty-One  
Waking Up

Aerith's words hang in my ears for a moment. I realized I'd just made a huge oversight…

"No… I didn't… how could I have forgotten?"

"I wouldn't have thought of that either, if I'd been under that much stress…"

"So he's alive?"'

"Might be, Yuffie, might be," she said firmly. "Don't… don't get your hopes up. It's highly improbable… his body might just end up Sleeping for the rest of time…"

I nodded absently. "You just… go back to sleep, okay? I'll go down and check… they're keeping him at Merlin's…" I trudged slowly from the room, my mind in a sort of shock from the deluge of emotions it had experienced over the past day. I pulled on my boots and a light jacket, and walked out into the street, still in my pajamas.

I didn't run. My muscles were too sore. I didn't feel any sense of urgency, though my heart wanted to fly.

He could still be alive…

Again with that sort of torpidity, I walked into the house. Cid turned from his computer to face me. "How you doing, kiddo?"

I nodded once. "Where's Squall?"

"Going to check on the citizens, to see if everyone's stayed in lockdown… Hey, where are you going?" He stood up. "…You shouldn't go in there?"

"Why not?" I smiled, just a little bit. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you what I just learnt."

"Oh?"

"I'm going to say my goodbyes," I said to placate him.

Cid blinked. I went into the room anyway.

* * *

The first thing I was aware of was a retreating numbness, like the kind you feel once a painkiller starts to wear off. While I could feel my body- I knew it was there- I didn't feel pain, nor could I really move.

And my head _hurt_. It felt like it was stuffed with stones.

I wasn't breathing. That much I knew. I felt like I didn't need air. Yet my heart was beating, quiet, feeble, but insistent.

I heard footsteps. My hearing seemed to have sharpened, that, or I wasn't used to being alive again.

Technically, I hadn't died. My soul had escaped, but apparently Holy had saved me at the last possible moment.

Some of this still wasn't making sense. But there was too much of me to focus on getting everything back in balance.

A warm, small hand took mine, squeezed it. I couldn't open my eyes yet.

The owner of the hand whispered… "Are you alive?"

Yuffie.

She put her fingers to the side of my neck. I listened to her breathing carefully. She inhaled sharply. "Demyx…"

Some sort of reflex kicked in, and suddenly I was gasping for air. She threw her arms around me, effectively holding me up yet still managing to squeeze me a bit too tightly.

I was overwhelmed. There was so much to take in, so much to _feel_. Every sense was super-sharp; I hadn't seen this well in a long time, and so far my eyes were only focused on the material of Yuffie's shirt.

Maybe that's why my senses had been weakening… it wasn't my _body_ getting weaker all that time, just my spirit unhinging…

A Nobody's senses… I rubbed her back, wondering how I could distinguish all the fibers of the shirt.

Most importantly, why? Why had I been saved? I was just a wandering spirit. Why had Holy saved me? Was that it, and not truly something else?

She grasped at my neck again. "I don't believe it… are you real?"

"…Real enough." I stroked her cheek, tucked a bit of stray hair behind her ear. I smiled a little nervously. She looked horrible, tired and liked she'd been crying on and off. God, I hated to cause pain! Something inside me turned that pain back on me- I blamed the Nobody traits. The trait had made me so good at reading now made me utterly sympathetic.

We embraced again.

"What made you… come back?" She asked.

"I'm not done here yet. I have people to find… and be with…"

"Demyx…" She laughed, suddenly. "How the hell do we explain this?"

"We can improvise." I blinked, and looked around. Everything was so _sharp_, so definite. I felt my own pulse. This was the real world… there was no doubt about it. "I'm sorry, Yuffie…"

"What for?" She asked, even though she knew exactly what I was talking about. "Demyx, you couldn't help what happened."

"No, but still… you've been crying."

She shrugged, as if it were nothing. "I love you. How could I have not been sad?"

"I love you too." I would have been grieving if she died- gods forbid.

She leaned her head against my knee. "What happened… if you don't mind telling me?"

I sighed. "I was in this deep void… it was kind of dark, everything was blue. It was kind of like the ocean, but I could breathe fine… or maybe I didn't need to breathe.

"There was this woman there. She had silver hair, but she looked young. She said… she said I was in the lifestream, the place where everyone goes after they die but before they go on to the afterlife. She told me that Holy had healed my soul, and because Holy protects, my body was still alive. She offered me the choice to go back, or go forward. So I chose to come back here… I've got things to do. I have to find Axel and Xigbar- they're my responsibility, they offered their lives for me. And I have to speak to Sora. I… I might have to face Xemnas."

Yuffie blinked. "But _why_?"

"I don't know," I told her honestly. "I just have this feeling. There's something unresolved between us. I just can't let it go. Something won't let me."

"Well, naturally, you want revenge, after what he did to you."

"But I'm not vengeful," I told her. "Before all this, I was perfectly fine just avoiding him until Sora took care of it."

"I don't want you facing him," she admitted to my knees.

I stroked her hair.

"I've heard of the lifestream, you know," she told me tiredly. "I used to hear about it all the time… from my parents, from Aerith. It was part of our religion… a modified Shintoism. Real, honest-to-the-gods Shinto don't believe in the afterlife. I've heard of warriors, of gods even, escaping the lifestream, but never a human."

"But I'm not a warrior, or a god," I told her. "Maybe… a human simply wasn't offered the choice, or if he or she was, decided not to take advantage of it." I looked down. "Besides… now that I think about it, I'm not one hundred percent human."

Yuffie looked up, obviously confused. "What?"

"I was born as a human, originally," I said, figuring it out as I went along. "When I lost my heart, I became a Nobody… but now that I've got my heart back, I've still got the body of a Nobody… if I was truly human, I wouldn't have these powers, or this weapon, or these senses…"

She blinked. "But Sora has a weapon, and powers. Aerith heals. Even I can do basic black magic. So we're not human, either?"

"I'm guessing your soul influences your body. That's what I was taught. It makes you… stronger. Gives you an extra edge."

She smiled slowly. "Looks like I've got a smart boyfriend."

I blushed.

"No, really. You claim to be an idiot, but you just figured that all out, by yourself." I'd told her how I wasn't exactly book smart in school. I still wasn't- and I wasn't clever or cunning. But I suppose I was intuitive- yet that was a Nobody trait. I was expected to have it.

I took a deep breath. "Well, now what?"

"First, we're going to have to get Cid and Leon to believe you're still alive," she told me. "They both think you're well and truly dead. I did, too, but then Aerith told me what Holy did. She's asleep, right now. Summoning Holy in such a short amout of time isn't good for her."

The door creaked open. I gasped. Cid was standing there, a sheepish smile on his face.

Yuffie leapt up. "You rotten little _eavesdropper!_" She screamed. She started punching him with an obviously curbed force.

"Well, at least I've heard the story," he said, pushing down on Yuffie's head. "It saves us a lot of time." He paused. "You said you were saying your goodbyes. I didn't think that the person you were leaving behind would reply back. Sound travels in this place. Not to mention… you told me you learnt something unbelievable. It doesn't take a genius to draw the conclusion that somehow, _Demyx is alive._" Cid turned to me. "I'm glad you're okay, boy. We would have missed you."

I smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

I went with Yuffie to check on Aerith. I owed her that much, after what she did to save me.

I'd been given my life back, been given my strength back. But the question was, why? It wasn't like I was particularly important, or a hero. My life had slipped into something resembling normal these past few weeks. Yes, I was a musician. Yes, I'd been a Nobody. Did that really mean anything?

My only conclusion was that it couldn't be this easy. There was _something_ I had to do, whether it is important or not. I had to… help the World somehow.

The only thing I could think of to do was talk to Sora about it. When would he show up? It was amazing that all this had happened in only three weeks.

I was healed. I had been _dead_ for twelve hours.

It was hard to grasp. My heart was still beating. I felt fine, better then I had in weeks, in fact, because I had hope again.

Maybe the thing I needed to do was to find Axel and Xigbar. Maybe that was the sole reason I was alive. They'd been willing to give their lives to me… the least I could do was find them and help them become human. If they were lucky, that is. Even my heart had come to me by pure accident.

…And what about Luxord?

He'd never shown me particular kindness, but he'd never been mean. In the Organization, he was always so unreadable, so _neutral_. I might as well get him, too, while I was at it. Especially since the whole Organization was falling to shit.

We walked into Aerith's house. It was amazing that I'd only been here yesterday. Even the piano bench was still pulled out.

I grasped Yuffie's hand. "Is she… okay?"

She hesitated, and then nodded. "It… wore her out. She needs sleep, and a lot of it. It's amazing what she accomplished, even if it doesn't seem much to us…"

I could imagine what it felt like, summoning Holy. For a moment, she'd become a goddess, the weight of the world on her shoulders… Remembering she was human must have been a challenge in itself.

I took Aerith's hand. "Thank you," I whispered. "You saved us all."

But she kept sleeping, oblivious to everything.

* * *

Yuffie and I sat on the couch. We were both relatively stunned, not necessarily in a negative way.

"Everything's happening so quickly," she murmured into my shoulder. "It's funny how that happens, right? Everything terrible is so drawn out, but everything good happens fast. I feel like I have to keep telling myself that this is all real. I mean, just yesterday I thought the world would end. Then the world was saved, but you died. Now, though… we're exactly where we began. You're alive. We're all safe."

I kissed the top of her head.

"And… what do we do now?"

I paused, took in a deep breath. "I know I need to talk to Sora," I said. "And… I need to find out what happened to Axel, Xigbar, and Luxord. Axel and Xigbar saved my life… and Luxord's never done anything to harm me. I want them to know that they can be human. I don't honestly think they're evil anymore, especially Axel. But after all that… I want us to go to the sea."

"Me, too." She closed her eyes. "Where are we going to start? Looking, I mean?"

"I thought I'd talk to Cid about that. Maybe he can help me get in touch with people on other worlds. If Axel and Xigbar _know_ I'm looking for them… they might come and find me."

She nodded. "We also have to tell Squall you're still alive. He's the only one who doesn't know." She stood and stretched. "If you don't mind, I'm going to go get dressed. You can go get something to eat if you want."

"Okay."

Yuffie paused at the doorway. "I just keep thinking you're going to disappear."

I smiled wearily. "Trust me, me too."

* * *

The next few hours were… odd.

Apparently, Cid had briefed Leon on the whole situation, so he didn't freak out like we thought. Cid told me that the best thing we could do in terms of searching for them would be to start placing flyers, and he'd see what he could do in terms of getting them around. Still, I knew my chances of finding either of them was very, very slim.

How did Sora do it? He looked aimlessly for his King and Riku. He just started on one world and blundered through all of them. Didn't he ever… worry? Or realize that his plan might not be working?

Still, I looked forward to seeing him. So much had happened, and he had no idea.

Axel knew where I was, I remembered. He'd been the one to send me here. It had just been sheer luck that I was in Hollow Bastion, with all of the friends I'd met courtesy of Sora. I could be instead in another, stranger world.

And Aerith slept straight through it all.

I ate. Showered. Got used to being a human again. Gradually, the old routine unearthed itself- we'd be falling right back into patrol. Now that I was healed, it would start to be much easier for me.

Yuffie and I were now just walking aimlessly in the streets. We had nothing much to do. Now that the invasion had happened, and been staunched, the Heartless population had diminished.

Things felt different between us. Less like the innocent romance that had been here before, everything felt… oddly more intimate. And it was kind of awkward that I had this new, heightened sense of touch.

It would be difficult, falling back into the old pattern.

We turned down a side street. We were finally able to talk about things other than the events that just happened. Yes, things would be fine.

I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Bright red against gray cobblestones in the sunlight, the first thing I thought of was blood. But it wasn't blood… the color wasn't dark enough…

My heart skipped a beat. I ran down the street, towards the alley. The red splotch was nothing more than a spot. Yuffie ran after me. "Demyx! What the hell?"

Lying on the ground in a crumpled heap was Axel.

* * *

Crap crap crap CRAP! That's what this chapter was. XD It wasn't detailed at all! I wrote it a while ago too...  
Well, I don't have much more to say! School's over this year, finally. I just had my last test and it sucked XD. Hope you all have a good summer, and see you next week!

Thank you _**Zexiontwo, The Moon's Berserk, TheChel, The Ninja And The Writer, Mystical, SoraIsMyHomeboy, Ravenr20,**_ and Anna for your reviews. We've passed the 150 mark! Once again, I love you all for your unending support. :)  
Next chapter: June 30th


	22. Rendezvous

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

Chapter Twenty-Two  
Rendezvous

He didn't look good.

I stared at my friend in an odd sort of wonder. Why had he just appeared? And so soon after all this happened…?

But that didn't matter right now. He was hurt. There was a cut on his arm, and it was pouring blood.

I knew only enough about healing to sustain myself. I hope I knew enough.

He wasn't conscious. That was a bad sign. Instinctively, I checked his pulse. I realized only at the last second that this was probably a stupid idea, considering he was a…

Axel had a pulse.

He was alive. But he was… human?

How? How had he figured it out? But most likely by accident… at least, that's what it looked like.

I pulled back his shirtsleeve and started to heal it. There was something _just so wrong_ with this wound, though. It nearly refused to heal. The thing was infected, but not simply with bacteria. I could _smell_ the darkness in the wound. He must have been scratched in the realm of darkness… right after he got his heart.

The cut fought me as I tried to heal it. See, water is a daughter element of light, along with fire, earth, and air. So, in a sense, water is the opposite of darkness. Water is calm, controlled; darkness is unstable, explosive. Sweat beaded on my forehead. I pulled on the darkness, tried to get it out of him.

"Do you…" Yuffie began "Do you want me to get someone?"

"No," I managed, nearly breathless. "I've got it."

Axel stirred weakly. He groaned, blinked. His eyes focused on me. He tensed and grabbed at the stones. He knew full well that I should have been dead; he probably thought he was, too. "B-but you're supposed to be…" He coughed.

"Easy," I shushed him. "You're still weak."

He still looked startled.

"You're okay," I told him. "You're not dead. It's a long story."

"I'm burning," he whispered. "Why is it… so hot?"

I wasn't used to seeing Axel like this. It was unlike him. "It's a fever. I don't know why, but it seems like that's what happens whenever someone becomes human."

"…Human." He closed his eyes, as if confused by the word. Yuffie looked equally perplexed. Suddenly, he tried to sit up. "Shit! I can't remember what happened…"

Finally, the wound was clean. Sealing it was the easy part.

Axel looked at me. "What… what am I supposed to do?"

"Whatever you want, I guess," I told him. "You don't have to pretend to be anyone else anymore." I paused. "But I'd still like to talk to you."

He blinked. "Well, it's not like I have anything better to do. I kind of want to know, though… how are you still alive, if we're not dead?"

I looked towards Yuffie. "It's… a long story." I stood up, feeling a wave of vertigo. Yuffie rushed forward. "I guess that took a lot more out of me than I thought…" I offered him my hand and helped him stand.

"This is so weird… I don't feel like _me_," Axel confessed, and then he laughed at himself.

"You'll get over the identity crisis eventually," I told him with a small smile. "By the way… this is my girlfriend, Yuffie."

He blinked, and smirked. "Well, I'll be." He took her hand and kissed it. Yuffie rolled her eyes.

I stared, trying to be tolerant. "Come on, Axel." I turned. "Or is it Lea?" He'd told me his human name, once upon a time. I couldn't remember why, though.

He grimaced. "Well served. I'm still Axel. I'm not about to go back."

I nodded. "Good. I almost made that same mistake."

We brought him to the wall by the Bailey. While Axel still seemed to be the same person, he had this odd sort of… innocence around him. He tried to hide it, but he looked at everything in a strange way, as if seeing it for the first time.

"So tell me," He finally said, cracking his neck. "What have you been up to? A lot, it seems." He was referencing the fact that Yuffie and I were sitting huddled together.

"We just survived the end of the world," she quipped. "Sorry if us sitting next to each other bothers you."

"Oh, no, no. Not at all." Axel smirked again. He was just teasing me, that and stalling. "What do you mean… end of the world?"

I sighed, and we launched into the story. It took the better part of an hour. I also told him about being poisoned, and how Holy had healed me.

"It seems like an awful big coincidence, then," Yuffie said. She could have sounded much more intimidating if her face wasn't near my armpit. "That you showed up right after all this was over."

He raised his eyebrows. "I assure you, I had no awareness of any of this until now. In fact… I was probably unconscious for a good portion of it." He spread his hands. "I didn't even know I was hurt that badly until I found you healing me. Thanks, by the way."

"You've already saved my life twice. I think I owed you that much. Besides," I took a breath. "I've been looking for you."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?"

"I don't know. I just felt like I _had_ to. You're my responsibility, especially since you risked your safety in the Organization for me. I was looking for you and Xigbar, and maybe Luxord. Do you know what happened to them?"

Axel shrugged. "I ran into Xigbar once. We exchanged a few words, didn't say much more than that. I think he was heading to Traverse Town."

I remembered what Yuffie told me about there. It wouldn't be hard to contact because of Cid. "He's still a Nobody?"

"I would think. After all, I'm not even sure what's going on. _How_ did I become human?"

"Your Heartless must have found you," I murmured.

He looked surprised. "That's it? That's the big secret?"

I nodded sheepishly.

"It's so… simple. Why didn't we ever think of that?"

"A bunch of smart people tend to over think things," Yuffie informed him. "You guys only sought out the difficult ways, without bothering to check the easy, dumb-sounding ones."

"That must have been… before I passed out." Axel thought a moment. "You know what? I do remember now… Shit, that is a one in a million chance."

"Or less," I provided. "So… what have you heard about Luxord?"

"I'm pretty sure he left," Axel told me. "For some reason or another. He might have just slipped out while we were all fighting. It seems like something he would do. If you're going to look anywhere, check Port Royal. There's plenty of gambling and booze… he'd be there. It's easy for a simple card dealer to just blend in there, especially with all the corruption."

I nodded. "There, he'd be hidden perfectly." I smiled. "Thanks, Axel."

He shrugged. "Don't mention it."

"So, what are you going to do?" Yuffie asked. She didn't mean it in a 'go away' sort of voice. She was just curious.

Axel blinked. "You know what? Can I just hang with you guys?"

* * *

Not so surprisingly, the committee accepted Axel almost immediately, even when I explained who he was. Personally, I think it was because he got rid of the cloak. He'd burned it as soon as we let him join us.

It was nice having my friend back, and knowing he was okay. He still had a fever, granted, but he handled it well, and seemed ready to leave his old life behind.

Which was fine with me. This was, after all, a place of new beginnings.

Now that I'd found Axel, I only had to place Xigbar and Luxord. We basically knew where Xigbar was- most likely in Traverse Town- so Luxord would be my problem, because not only would it be difficult to find _where_ he was, but _the time_ he was in, too.

"It's basically hopeless, Demyx," Axel told me. "Being able to manipulate time makes it very easy for him to just… disappear. Don't waste your breath. If he wants to be found, he'll come to you."

I sighed and nodded. "I'll just have to ask Sora to bring me there, then. Hopefully it's not… a façade or something. You guys never trusted each other, did you?"

He sat back and crossed his arms. "I think it was more of a camaraderie," he guessed. "I went AWOL and when both of us helped you, that kind of put us in similar situations. I don't trust him for much else, but I don't think he would lie to me about that." Axel shrugged. "Then again, there's no such thing as 'truth' in the Organization."

I nodded again. "So… what are your plans? Are you going to stay here? Are you going to go somewhere else?"

"I've got nowhere else to go," he confessed. "I'm not going back to the place where I was born. It holds too many bad memories."

"…You've never told me about your past, Axel."

"Because it's something I like to keep private," he muttered. "I've got the option to put distance between who I was and who I am, and I will. You and I… we're free now, Demyx. We can do whatever we want." He smiled. "Sora will take care of the rest of the Organization- just Xemnas and Saïx. After that, well… everything should become pretty much clear. You… you like it here, don't you?" He asked.

I nodded. "I finally feel like I'm where I belong. I've got friends. I've got Yuffie. Now that I know you're safe, everything's… as close as normal as it can be for me."

He exhaled. "You've got to teach me how to do it, Demyx."

"What?"

"Be _human_. It comes so naturally to you. You _are_ one of them. Even though I've got a heart… nothing's definite yet."

I blinked. "It might not be," I said finally. "There's no sense of pure truth, pure logic. Those are Nobody traits. You gave them away to have emotions. Not to mention… you've still got to get used to having a heart. Your body does, anyway. The initial fever made me pass out for days." I looked down. "That was only three months ago. It feels like an eternity."

"I'm telling you," he agreed. He tucked his arms behind his head. "I have a feeling it's going to get very boring around here."

"It better be."

* * *

Over the course of the next week, things smoothed out. The Heartless population finally became normal again, which was a surprising relief. Yuffie and I did our usual rounds, and Axel tagged along. It was only then did I notice how _temporary_ everything had felt, but it was time to settle down and finally plant some roots here.

It was funny, watching Axel come alive again. Often, he got irritated with himself for feeling angry, or sad. It was good to watch him laugh, and realize I finally had my friend back, and this time, we really could be friends, instead of just the strange alliance we'd had before.

I realized why he'd looked so innocent. Because I'd been sixteen when I'd become a Nobody, I hadn't aged other than reaching maturity. Axel hadn't aged as a Nobody either, and he'd only been nineteen when he'd changed. I thought he was older than that. He acted it, after all.

He never told me about his past. No matter how subtly I asked him, he never told me a single detail- not even anything happy about his past. I was beginning to think he'd just forgotten everything, like I had, when he took me aside.

"Demyx," Axel began. "I know this is going to sound stupid… but were there really only thirteen members in the Organization?"

_Xion_, I remembered again. I hadn't thought of her… but I remembered her still. Why was I the only one who remembered? "What makes you say that?"

He nearly blushed and looked away. "Right it was a stupid question."

I stared at him evenly. "No, really. What makes you say that?"

"It's just that… for some reason, I'm _almost_ remembering someone. Someone else, like in the Organization. But it would have been Organization _XIV_ if there'd been fourteen members, right?" He shook his head. "I've never felt this weird."

I sighed. "Let me tell you a secret, Axel," I told him. He'd remember himself soon enough. Why was it wrong for me to tell him what actually happened? That one of his best friends, whom he couldn't remember, had been a puppet?

He looked confused.

I took a breath. "See, like a week after Roxas came into the Organization…"

Yuffie suddenly came running over with an excited look on her face, effectively interrupting me. "Guys! Sora's here!"

Yes, so it looked like the guy we'd been waiting for was finally here.

It felt like only yesterday that I had been walking in here for the first time, carrying an unconscious Keyblade wielder and feeling almost scared, having only consciously been human for a few hours. And now, here I was, walking through that door again with Axel and my girlfriend, having become well acquainted with all the people here, (sans Merlin, but he only showed up when he wanted/needed to) and once again, I felt very strange, almost confused.

Sora was talking to Aerith. He, of course, looked exactly the same, as well as Donald and Goofy. He said something that made her laugh.

"Hey, Sora," Yuffie greeted. "Look who the cat dragged in."

Sora saw me and smiled. "Hey Myde, what's going on?"

Axel nudged me and muttered in a voice so low only we could hear it, "Haha, I keep forgetting that was your name."

"Shut up," I hissed at him. "Not much. Just hanging with the Committee," I said to Sora. "I'm… I'm Demyx now, by the way."

He looked serious for a moment and nodded. "Okay."

"That's Axel," Yuffie introduced. "He was in the Organization, but he's human now, and he's our friend."

The two eyeballed each other for a moment. Sora was Roxas's Somebody- I could only imagine what that felt like, looking at your best friend while said friend didn't remember you sat all.

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Nice to meet you. It's always nice to know that the committee is getting new members."

"You, too," Axel said absently.

I wondered about his lack of reaction, but I was content for now so long as he wasn't angry. That wouldn't be a good thing.

"So, Demyx," Sora said smoothly as soon as the others started getting distracted again. "What… what happened? I turned my back for five seconds and you were just gone."

That was another thing that was surprising. He hadn't been angry with me because I'd disappeared, which might have meant he hadn't been concerned. That stung a little, but I wasn't his top priority, or a priority at all. "It just… It's a long story."

"I was really worried until Cid told me you were here," he confessed. "We don't know each other well, but you seemed so… afraid. Like you weren't used to being human." Sora paused. "At first I figured you'd left of your own will. I thought something was wrong, because you seemed like the type of person to at least say goodbye. But then I found this." He pulled something out of his pocket and unfolded it. It was one of Luxord's cards- an Ace of Spades. "I knew you'd been taken by the Organization, and you couldn't have fought them off because you were weak that day. So I figured I'd find you once I got there." He sighed.

"But why?" I asked. He _did_ care. He had hardly known me; he didn't have any reason to trust me at all, really. He only let me live because I was human.

Sora furrowed his eyebrows, like it was a difficult question. "I didn't think you were evil," he informed me. "You lacked that… vibe that some of the others gave off. I can't just let someone go when they're in trouble."

The room fell silent for a moment at that. Yuffie glanced over at me and smiled for a moment.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He grinned again. "No problem. If you don't mind enlightening me, though… what _did_ happen to you?"

So I told him. It was an abridged version of the story- I cut out everything about being poisoned. I just made it sound like I'd just been sitting in the cell all day for those months. I don't think he quite believed me, just went along with it. Yuffie, who knew the truth, raised her eyebrows at me.

"Axel was the one to get you out of there?" He asked. "I'm surprised. I thought they all… never wanted to get into trouble, and just tried to stay alive."

"I think my being human had an effect on him," I admitted. "Just like your light touched everyone. Maybe he saved me out of pity… but oh well, it doesn't matter anymore."

He nodded, looking thoughtful. "So what are you going to do now, Demyx? You know you're more than welcome to come back with me. …Though I haven't gotten much farther in finding out how to get there," he confessed in a much lower voice.

At this point, Axel looked over. "You need to know how to get to the World that Never Was?" He shrugged. "Then I guess I'm your man."

* * *

Sorry for posting so late XD. Normally I have the chapter up before now. On another note, congratulations to all graduates! I'm not one myself but I did go to my high school's graduation to play.  
I saw Mr. Popper's Penguins today with my sister. Did I mention this sister is almost twenty? Nevertheless, it was a pretty entertaining movie, though Jim Carrey would be the only right one to play the part of the main character.  
Have a good summer everyone! Hopefully I won't forget to update regularly like last time XD. And hopefully, I can finish the story by the beginning of September! I've already started writing the sequel.

Have a good Fourth of July everyone! Celebrate the US's independence by blowing something up! ...And by that, I mean fireworks! XD Please check out the poll on my profile as well.  
Thank you _**Azelf1717, vildtiger, TheChel, Ravenr20, Mystical, The Ninja And The Writer, **_and Anna for reviewing last chapter.  
Next update: July 7th


	23. Obvious

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. The storyline is entirely mine, aside from some supplements from FFVII. Characters are property of Squeenix.**

Chapter Twenty-Three  
Obvious

We all stared at Axel. Of course, we'd never talked about it, but I suppose Axel and I both were goldmines for information, having been from the Organization, and him more than I.

I thought Sora's eyes would bulge out of his head. "…You know how to get there?"

He sighed. "Yes. I… I had a mission once. It connected 'Never Was to a type of… virtual world, and something we needed badly was in this virtual world. If I'm not wrong, the way to get there… and then to 'Never Was… should still exist."

Sora sat on the dais with an odd look on his face. "Right… of course." He sighed. "Is it really… that obvious?"

Axel blinked. "Hey, I'm sorry."

"No, no… I'm so glad you told me. This is great… we can finally end things. I just… I need a minute, okay?" He looked up. He was clearly shocked. "You just… go about whatever you were doing."

Yuffie tugged at my hand. "Hey, can I talk to you?"

We went outside. The sky was clear, now its usual shade of pale violet. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I can't just talk to you?"

I blinked. "Seems like that, huh?"

She paused. We were in our usual place- the walls by the Bailey. We were hanging out there more and more often. I guessed it was a convenient place, though- there was little traffic, and it was right near Merlin's. Yuffie sighed. "Why do you think Sora's so shocked?"

"I just don't think he can grasp that it's finally almost over. I get the feeling that he figured his journey would last forever. I can't blame him. He had no plan, but how _could_ he have a plan? His friends were lost. It seems like they're impossible to find."

"It seems like you're in that situation now."

I exhaled and shrugged. "…I guess so. I mean, I've found Axel. That was easy. But what about Xigbar? Supposedly he's in Traverse Town, hiding out. I owe him a debt- that's why I'm finding him. But does he want to be found? Should he… be human? And Luxord? …Please. We'd be lucky to find the right millennium he was in, much less the right place."

"So what are you doing to do?"

"I'm going to ask Sora if he can help me out. I just need to look. With my recon skills, it shouldn't be so hard, especially if he _is_ in Traverse Town. But if it isn't… well, time wasted."

She nodded. "Demyx… you seem kind of edgy."

"Because facing Xemnas is now a possibility."

Yuffie looked momentarily confused, but then she understood. "You can't. I'm not letting you."

"And I don't want to fight him."

"Then why…?"

I turned to her. "Have you ever had a feeling that there was something you positively _needed_ to do? Like, it was your destiny, or something."

She raised her eyebrow. "No. Not at… wait." She thought for a moment. "Back when I was little… I felt I _had_ to steal that white materia. Not just because it was pretty… I wanted it and I couldn't understand why."

I bobbed my head. "It's like that. Like there's some sort of score to settle. I just need to talk to him. I need to clarify what happened in my past… if that was all imagined, or…"

"But he could kill you."

"Yuffie, I should have died at least three times already."

She looked down. "At least let me go with you."

"…I don't know what's going to happen. I'm not sure if I'd want you in that kind of…"

She put a finger on my lips. "Don't pull that 'I don't want you in danger' crap. No offense, but when it comes to who could take whom in a fight, I could beat you, easily. And if you haven't realized, I've been in many more dangerous situations than you realize, and I pulled through just fine."

Yuffie said all this very quickly.

I nodded once. "Okay. You win."

"We're a team," she said firmly. "You can't get rid of me, Demyx."

"Good." I hopped down from the wall. "Life would be a lot more boring." I leaned over and kissed her.

Before I realized, five minutes passed and someone was calling us from Merlin's. We broke apart, both of us red in the face.

"I've been waiting since I got back to do that," I admitted.

* * *

Sora had evidentially cleared his head by the time we got back. Axel smirked at me. "Have fun, lover boy?"

I elbowed him.

Sora turned to Axel and I. "Axel, I want you to go with me, because you know how this whole system works. You might have been an Organization member, but right now that doesn't matter, so long as you're on our side."

Axel nodded.

"And Demyx… You know you're free to come if you want, but if you want to just stay here, I understand."

I sighed. "I… I really don't know. Something _tells_ me I have to go back there. I have to know the truth."

He bobbed his head. "Okay. If you're fine with that." He took another object out of his pocket. "By the way… what is this? It must have been yours."

It was a mute, for my sitar. It must have been in my pocket when Luxord kidnapped me. I hadn't even noticed it was gone… "It's for my sitar. Thanks." I put it in my pocket, wondering why he'd even kept it. "How has your… mission been going?"

He sighed and shrugged. He looked so deflated that I felt bad for him. "About as good as it can be. I've restored a lot of World order. But when it comes to what _I_ want to achieve…"

"You mean finding Riku and the King?" Yuffie asked.

"Yes. I just don't know where to start… I just find myself hoping that I'll run into them at random. But that just doesn't work." Sora shook his head. "I've only seen the King once this whole time, and even that was for a minute. He ran away almost as soon as he spotted me, like he was trying to avoid me…" He frowned. "And to add to it, Kairi's been taken."

"Who's Kairi?" Yuffie asked.

"My… friend." I noticed the way he blushed when he said that. It was obvious he felt the same for Kairi as I did for Yuffie. "A few of our allies in Twilight Town told us… they saw her get taken. They weren't able to stop the man."

"Who was he?" Axel asked, with an odd expression on his face.

"I don't know his name. They described him as having blue hair… and a scar." Sora drew an X on his face.

"That's Saïx," I told him. "He's Xemnas's… second-in-command."

"They're probably baiting you," Axel told him honestly. "They _want_ you to come to them. They probably want to stroke the darkness in your heart."

Sora looked confused. "Why would they want me to come to them, if I'm going to kill them? And especially if I don't know how to get there? Either they knew you were human and would tell me… Or it was just a lapse in logic."

Yuffie and I exchanged a glance. Sora might seem simple at times, but he was very insightful.

Axel looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure. Xemnas has been acting rashly… but you're the hero. He'd know you'd end up there sometime, somehow."

"But I've got to kill them. So even if I wasn't planning on rescuing Kairi- but how could I just leave her there- I'd still end up in the same place. Why'd he even bother?" He exhaled. "I'm just worried about her."

"And you should be," Axel muttered. "Just look at the way they treat their prisoners."

Everyone tried very hard not to look at me. I pursed my lips.

"Either way," Sora continued blearily, "We're going to have to get ready to leave."

"You seem tired, Sora," Yuffie said. "You should rest first, so you're at your strongest."

"Normally I wouldn't take you up on that, but I'm just so exhausted." He smiled. "Where can I sleep?"

"There's a cot in the other room," I told him. "If you need anything, just ask."

He nodded and left the room.

"So you're going," Yuffie stated.

I closed my eyes. "Yes. I've got to resolve things. If I've got to fight him… I'll fight him." I exhaled. "But… between the five of us, I think we'll be more than set."

"Five?" Axel asked.

"Donald and Goofy. His friends. They're over there." I pointed to the corner, where they were talking to Aerith.

"Oh, excellent," Axel muttered.

"The dog is nice, the duck is the one you're going to have to worry about- anyway, once we get into 'Never Was, what are we going to do? We can't just swarm the castle. He'll sense us as soon as we're there." I sat on the dais.

A thought struck Axel. "Demyx… what did you do with your coat?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "It's… it's in the other room. Why?" I hadn't even so much as thought about it since my first few days here.

He smiled slowly. "If you wore it… it would hide you from his senses. Nothingness is just part of darkness, and Xemnas uses nothingness to sense us. _Those coats protect against darkness,_ Demyx." He swore. "If only I hadn't burnt mine… I didn't anticipate this…"

"Then why don't you wear it?"

"It only fits you well enough to be convincing."

"That means I'd have to face both of them _on my own_, Axel, and I can't do that."

He shook his head. "No… you could just be a distraction. Xemnas will be busy dealing with a 'traitor' rather than taking care of some humans."

"Or not. He might just knock me out and wait for you guys to come." I blinked. "I don't like the sound of that."

"Neither do I," Yuffie interjected. "Axel… Demyx is still weak. Very weak." She smiled. "No offense."

"But magically, he's probably the most powerful out of all of us, aside from Sora." It seemed to him that all the pieces were falling into place. "You don't have to be… you. You can pretend to be Luxord, whom I'm guessing just disappeared without a word. And if things end up badly… you can beg for him not to kill you. You can apologize to him. You can tell him the secret, because as far as we know, he's screwed when it comes to becoming human. And if you tell him, he'll have no reason to kill you…"

"Unless he gets angry, or just wants revenge." I put a hand to my face. "One thing's still unclear about my past. Either… that poison altered my memories, or we're connected in some other way. Apparently, he thinks or wants me to think that I was supposed to be a sort of apprentice of his." I shook my head. "This officially makes no sense. Blindly running in there sounds less dangerous. At least, between the five of us, we have a chance. Six, if we find Xigbar…"

"Seven, if you count me," Yuffie added.

Axel and I both stared at her.

"What? I want to go with you. Demyx, you know how strong I am, this isn't just about my power… I want to be there. I want to know that you won't be killed again, and I want to have a part of it."

"And I say no," a voice came from behind us. I noticed that Cid was standing there, with a book under his arm and a coffee mug. "Don't accuse me of eavesdropping again, I only heard that last bit. Yuffie, I'm vouching for all of us, especially Demyx and myself here. It's best if you don't go."

She was flustered. "Why not?"

"This is the big deal. This isn't some play fight. This is life or death."

"I've been in those before!" She was starting to get really angry- I could feel it. "I survived the Wutai massacre. I survived when our world fell apart. I survived the darkness which nearly destroyed us again, and that was _a week ago._ I fought if off, okay!"

I felt bad. Really, I did. I knew she was strong enough to handle anything thrown at her. But for some reason, I didn't want her coming with us to that castle. I didn't want anyone more than necessary involved.

Yuffie turned to me. "Don't you have anything to say about this?" She put her hand on her hip. She was testing me.

"No," I told her, refusing to meet her eyes.

That caught her off guard.

She clicked her tongue. I must have failed her test, because she pushed me and stormed out of the house.

Axel whistled. "That's some keeper you have there, Demyx."

I glared at him. "Shut the hell up."

I knew it was stupid. I knew there was no real reason for her to stay behind. Was it so bad that I didn't want her to have to go to my personal hell? Was it so bad that I didn't want her to be hurt by Saïx? Was it so bad that I didn't want her to see me be killed, or killing Xemnas? Especially the blood, the blood of a Nobody was so terrible- thick and gray, everything needed to live normally without a heart…

Wait a minute.

I can't believe I just let that thought cross my mind. I hadn't, not until this minute, considered killing Xemnas by my own hand. I'd always thought Sora would be the one to do it… his Keyblade kept him morally safe.

But now, I couldn't imagine anything better than destroying him myself. True closure…

Why did I want to kill? And not anyone… him. Me, usually a total pacifist. Maybe our connection was deeper and truer than I knew. Maybe there was just something seriously wrong with me.

"Demyx? Demyx, she's going to calm down. Are you okay?" Cid was shaking my shoulder. All of a sudden the room felt very cold.

"Is something wrong?" Axel asked. "You just spaced out…"

Everything seemed too sharp. That was something I'd noticed- every time I felt strongly about something, my senses kicked into overtime. "I'm fine," I stammered. I couldn't stop thinking about how the blood would feel, thick and only slightly warm, through my fingers… no, stop it, stop it, stop it! This wasn't me!

"Aerith, I think he's having a panic attack." The voices drifted down, as if I were underwater.

Something sharp struck my face. It took me a few seconds to comprehend the pain- she'd slapped me across the face. My vision cleared and I realized just how quickly my heart had been beating.

"Works every time," she said with a smile. "Demyx? What's going on, huh?"

"I'm not really sure," I lied. It was a lot harder to sound convincing when I was stuttering everything. "I just… I couldn't breathe…" Which was also a lie. I hadn't had trouble breathing for a second. What was happening? Why was I lying _and_ thinking about blood…?

"It's okay," Aerith said in an even voice. "Just calm down. Deep breaths. You must be stressing. If it bothers you this much, maybe you should just stay here while they leave…"

I shook my head. "I have to go with them."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" She asked in a much gentler tone.

"Demyx, you could have just said something…" Axel said uneasily.

I stared at him, trying to communicate that facing Xemnas wasn't what made me panic. I think he understood. He nodded just a little bit.

"I'll bring him outside to get some air," he told her. Axel took my wrist and tugged on it.

He brought me through town, towards a set of steps. We were visible, but no one could hear us. "What the hell was that about?" He asked me. "All of a sudden, I just sensed this sort of… weirdness around you."

I could only shake my head.

"You were thinking about killing him, weren't you?" He added in a much lower voice. "Because he caused you all this pain, and because you felt like you had to?"

"How did you…?"

"And because you liked the thought, you got scared." He blinked. "I… I can still sense emotions like I used to, if they're strong. And they were strong, all right."

I took a deep breath.

Axel put a hand on my shoulder. "I think it's time I told you about my past."

* * *

_ That was... messily put together. Yuffie is OOC angry. And Demyx came off as feeling less violent towards Xemnas as I originally intended.  
But finally the plot starts to progress. Hopefully I can finish things up by the thirtieth chapter.

I hope everyone had a Happy Fourth and a good Canada Day. I saw these awesome fireworks- the finale was so grand I felt I would nearly have a seizure. By the way, has anyone played Homestuck? I've been playing/reading it lately and it's pretty funny. Other than that... my vacation so far has been uneventful.

The next time I'll see you all, I'll be another year older! My birthday is on a Tuesday this year XD. Hopefully I'll sound wiser, but I'm sure I'll be babbling like usual.

Thank you _**TheChel, Ravenr20, Mystical, The Ninja And The Writer, **_and Anna for reviewing last chapter. I hate to be a review whore- every last bit of feedback is appreciated- but I'd like to get at least six reviews for this chapter. It's not like I'll threaten not to update- that would just be stupid, seeing as I've already finished the next chapter, and I'm not going to whine over feedback for a story that I expected almost none for.

Next update: July 14th


	24. Departure

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

Chapter Twenty-Four  
Departure

"No, Axel, I'm fine…" I muttered, pulling away from him. "And how will your past help me?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure. But you wanted to know."

I nodded.

"I was the child of a rich Irish-American family," he began. "My father was lucky. His dad left him a good stock."

"Wait." I felt bad for cutting him off so soon. "Irish-American?" What did that mean?

Axel laughed at me. "I forgot, you don't know. I lived on this world called Earth. It wasn't just some big community, like here. The land was divided into countries, and they were so far apart that people had different cultures. They even _look_ different. Ireland is this country in Europe, and America… that's where everything is."

"It sounds… a little familiar." I couldn't place the name of my homeworld. All I knew was that it was bleak, gray, and polluted.

"Anyway… my parents… money didn't make them good people. They were never close; personally, I think they got married because my mother was pregnant with me. They were almost never home, and I always had a nanny." Axel shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal. I didn't particularly feel like I was missing anything. Things were just as good as they could be until my mother had my sister.

"My parents were quite the pair. My father was a worthless alcoholic. He hadn't worked a day in his life. My mother was a bipolar pill-popper. It's a miracle I didn't turn out more messed up. I think they only ended up together because they had no one else, and really they only married because she was pregnant with me.

"I remember that when I was growing up, they used to have these terrible fights. She'd scream at him. He'd hit her. I don't even really know why they fought. We were financially secure. We didn't really have any friends or family to cause drama. I guess they fought because they liked fighting, which was okay with me, so long as I wasn't involved.

"Things changed when she had my sister. She truly didn't want this baby, but she couldn't get away with having an abortion because my father was Catholic. They took out a life insurance policy on her, with the intention of… getting rid of her."

I shuddered.

"I knew because I heard them talking about it. Alcohol makes your lips really loose. They were going to kill her for the money, and figure out what to do with me. But I couldn't just stand there. I loved my sister. So when I heard him going for the door… I ran. But by the time I got there, it was too late. He'd strangled her." He met my eyes. "How many people can strangle a newborn girl?"

I blinked. I wanted to cry. "Axel…"

"I fought him. I had years of martial arts on my side- he was just an old drunk. I took her body, some money, and a lighter with me. My mother's pills made her sleep really heavily. And in the middle of the night, I… set the house on fire.

"I buried the body in the woods, after that, it was me against the world. Killing them hadn't really affected me- maybe it was just shock. I loved being on the run. It was just this terrible rush. I kept myself alive until I was sixteen. That year, I met Isa."

Isa. How did that sound familiar? "Isa? I think I've heard of him."

Axel smirked. "You know him. That's Saïx's Somebody."

"…"

"Moving on, then. Isa was this well-brought-up rich kid who wasn't looked after. Outwardly, he was an excellent student and son. But he was up to nothing good. He was part of this… gang, you see." He met my eyes. "After he earned my trust, and I told him what I'd done, he said he liked my style and that I should join up with him. So I did.

"See, Demyx… I can't remember anything, like the name of the gang and what we did. But I just knew that just as I realized what a terrible mistake I made, it was too late. I was stuck in that group, or they'd come after me. And they did.

"But it was a different 'they.' Police had been looking to stop us for years, and they were delighted when they found me- it turns out that someone had seen be leaving with my little sister and knew I was the one who killed my parents.

"They didn't even give me the chance to go to court. On Earth, in America, there's this thing called 'Capital Punishment'… they kill those who they think committed a bad enough crime. On the day I was to be executed, they gave me these tattoos." He traced his fingers over his cheeks. "The mark of a murderer, they say, and there's two of them because I killed two people. But when I was lying there on the table, waiting to be killed… guess what found me?"

"The Heartless," I whispered.

He nodded. "Yes. The Heartless. It turns out the authorities were going to kill Isa, too, and we both became Nobodies together. You know what happens from then until now."

I sighed. "Axel, I…"

"I just don't want to be that person anymore. I just want to leave it all behind." He looked at me. "What about you, Demyx? What happened to you?"

I told him.

* * *

Hours later, Axel had returned to Merlin's. I was still walking the streets, trying to find Yuffie. I had to apologize to her.

I couldn't find her anywhere. She was a ninja- she wouldn't be found unless she wanted to be, and Hollow Bastion was a big city.

I didn't even bother calling her name. If she were so mad, she would run when she heard my voice. That, or attack me. I hope it wouldn't end up like that.

Why did it hurt her so much? I just wanted her to stay here. Yes, I could understand… but I don't want her to see me when I faced Xemnas. I had a feeling I would just lash at him, especially since I had so recently fantasized about killing him.

I walked back into Market Square and sunk down on one of the steps. The place was mostly deserted, other than the shopkeepers and a few people making purchases.

"Aye, you're looking for that girl, aren't ye?" Came a voice from behind me.

It was a duck. I furrowed my eyebrows. He was Donald's… uncle, I think?

"Dark hair, a scowl on her face?" He continued. "I've seen you two together. She went that away." He pointed. I wondered if she'd set him up to trick me, but doubted she would do that. "I'm Scrooge, by the way."

"I'm Demyx. Nice to meet you."

"I've been trying to recreate an old ice cream flavor. Would you like to try it?"

I sighed. "Not now, thanks. But I'll come back later." I made a mental note to bring Axel. He loved ice cream.

"All right, laddie. Now you have a good day!"

"You, too." I walked in the direction he was pointing. It was a fairly straightforward road- no twists or turns, no roads attached to it. I ended up in the blue rocks. I had never been there myself. I thought I had ended up in the wrong place when I heard the sound of metal hitting rock.

And there she was, practicing throws with her shuriken. I decided to just quietly walk up, but she held her shuriken and turned around slowly.

Her face was expressionless. She looked at me almost questionably. "What do you want?" Her tone was objectionable. "That stupid Scrooge sold me out, didn't he?"

"Well, yes," I said.

She swore, threw her weapon again. "He doesn't keep secrets for anything."

I walked forward cautiously, chanced a hand on her shoulder. She didn't snap at me, not physically, anyway.

"Hey, I'm sorry," I murmured.

She sighed and clutched at her shuriken. "It was stupid, you know?"

"Yes."

She threw the weapon a third time. She had created a large X in the rock. "I don't know why I got so angry. I never really felt like I had to get involved with Sora's journey, not from the beginning. But when you and Axel were getting involved… maybe I was… jealous? I was definitely concerned about you, don't think I wasn't." She leaned against the wall. "It's kind of hard to describe."

"Well, I don't want you there because… well… I'm scared. I'm scared of what Xemnas will do, yes, but I'm more scared of how I'll react."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Like how?"

"Xemnas suggested it to me. I'm not sure if it's true or not… but chances are, there's this connection between us. I just feel like… I have to kill him. And I'm not sure if I'll accidentally harm the others in the process." I exhaled shakily. "I'm afraid. I really am. Because what if he just ends up killing all of us?"

"…Could he?"

I nodded. "I'm guessing. It wouldn't be difficult for him. That's why… I don't want you there. Because if he doesn't kill them… I might."

"But you can't face him alone. You're too weak. Demyx, this is a bad idea! How are you going to convince Sora to let you face him alone? He'll _waste_ you."

I smiled and took her shoulders. "Don't worry about it."

"But I have to! I don't want you leaving again! When I thought you'd died, Demyx…"

I hugged her tightly. "This fight has to happen, Yuffie. If not now, then some other time." I sighed. "I love you. I love you more than I thought I could ever love someone."

"Promise me you'll come back," she whispered.

"I'll… I'll try. But would you still want me? If I were a murderer?"

* * *

Later that night, we were all in the main room of Merlin's house. I was still so concerned. Ever since I spoke to Yuffie, it was occurring to me more and more- if I reacted that way just _thinking_ about killing him, how would I actually act? I had excellent self-control most of the time, when it came to my powers. Would I still have enough control to stop me from wiping everyone out to get to him? Or would I just be me? Could I accept help? Would my instincts allow it?

Sora looked better after he slept, but still tired. He glanced at us wearily. Axel had told us about the plan, and he'd agreed that it might work. I had my coat on my lap. I wanted to rip it to shreds. Cid had made us some earpieces, so we could communicate with one another. It was difficult to think about. This was all really happening.

"We're going to leave at dawn," Sora said. "If everything goes well, we'll all be back here by the afternoon. Demyx and Axel know the castle well, so navigation shouldn't be the problem. Our problem would be finding Kairi, and defeating Xemnas."

"What about Saïx?" Yuffie asked. "He's still alive, isn't he? I'm sure he wouldn't just let this happen, if he's second-in-command."

Sora exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "…I forgot about him."

"He's mine," Axel murmured. "I owe him… a visit."

"A…are you sure?" Sora stuttered.

"Positive. I can handle him. You four just concentrate on Xemnas."

"But that's the thing," Sora said, flushing. "I was going to tell Donald and Goofy to search for Kairi, so the three of us…"

Donald looked objectionable. "Oh. No way! I want to fight him!"

"Maybe Sora's right," Goofy protested.

"That leaves just Demyx and I," Sora murmured. "But is it a good idea? Just the two of us?"

"I'm sure you can manage," Axel said. "Demyx is… very good at magic, if you're implying he's weak."

"That's not what I meant, really," Sora said. "Xemnas will just be… so powerful. And if you're gone, we're that much weaker."

"We just have to be careful," I muttered.

"Right." He checked the watch hidden under his glove. "It's getting late. Axel, Demyx… you two go rest up. We'll meet back here in the morning."

Surprisingly, I had little difficulty falling asleep. But I did… dream.

In the dream, my hands and feet were bound. I was in a big, white room, and I was dressed in my normal clothes. In front of me, was a figure wearing an Organization cloak. It clutched Sora's Keyblade, but it definitely wasn't Roxas- that much I knew.

Xemnas was standing in front of it, holding an obviously weakened Sora against him. The boy looked up at the figure, hopefully at first, then fearfully. Sora struggled to get free.

_No!_ I wanted to shout at it. _Stop! Don't hurt him!_

"You're in my way," it said in a toneless voice.

It raised the Keyblade. I tried to scream, to do something to get its attention. It stabbed Sora through the chest, and Xemnas as well.

Blood dripped from the Keyblade. "I'm sorry," it said to me. "You should have said something."

Instantly, I knew. The cloaked figure was I.

* * *

I woke up, drenched in cold sweat, to Axel knocking on the door. "Demyx! Get up! We have to leave!"

I struggled to catch my breath. My heart was racing. "God damn it," I swore under my breath. Louder, I shouted, "Just give me a minute!"

Hurriedly, I dressed, grabbing the earpiece and the cloak. On impulse, I also grabbed a potion. Hopefully, I wouldn't need it.

I opened the door. Axel stared at me. "What happened to you? Nightmare?"

"Something along those lines, yes," I whispered. "Come on. We're going to be late."

He didn't ask me any other questions as we walked to where Sora told us he'd landed the ship.

"Hey, guys!" Yuffie shouted from behind us. "Wait up!"

"I thought you told me she wasn't coming," Axel murmured.

"I'm not," she told him. "I'm just seeing you off."

Axel smirked. "Well then, I guess I'll just go up on ahead," he said casually.

I blushed. "Wait…"

Yuffie laughed. "Let him go. I'll only be a minute."

We watched as he passed from the city into the outer woods, where the ship was.

She grabbed he and hugged me. She squeezed me so tightly that I dropped the coat. "I'm holding you to your promise," she said. "If you don't come back… I swear, I'll…" She sighed. "I love you, Demyx."

"Love you, too."

We kissed, long and warm. When she finally let go, she picked up the cloak and handed it to me. "You dropped this."

I nodded and smiled.

"Well… see you." She waved.

I did, too. "See you."

And I went to join the others.

* * *

I really don't like this chapter, not even a little bit. It sucks.  
I'm so excited for Harry Potter! I'm seeing it tonight at midnight. This movie better be awesome.

Thank you _**Ravenr20, vildtiger, TheChel, Mystical, Zemby, The Ninja And The Writer, **_and Anna for reviewing last chapter.  
Next update: July 21st


	25. Royalty

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

Chapter Twenty-Five  
Royalty

I found the ship easily. To my surprise, Sora was standing there, waiting for me.

"Is everything okay, Demyx?" He asked.

"It's fine. Why do you ask?"

"You seemed so… hesitant yesterday. You don't have to do this."

I sighed. "Yes, Sora, I do. That's the thing."

He seemed to catch the drift. "I understand everything that's happened between the two of you…"

I cut him off. "Don't worry about me, please." I turned, went to board the ship. "You should be worried about yourself," I whispered, so low he wouldn't hear it.

The trip was short, silent. Axel and I sat side-by-side on the floor. There was barely room for both of us. I ignored the motion sickness that wanted my attention and toyed with the drawstrings on my cloak.

"Are you okay?"

I looked up, startled. "Everyone keeps asking that."

"You're nervous," Axel stated.

"Of course I am."

He tried to find something to say to make me feel better, but couldn't. He just patted my shoulder.

Everyone seemed worried about me. Why, though? I wasn't even important. In fact, I was downright pushed aside most of my life.

The ride wasn't long, maybe a half-hour at most. My heart was beating quickly. I felt almost like I was going to faint. I clutched the jacket. We landed, and disembarked.

"This shouldn't take long," Sora said. "Where is this… 'Virtual world'?"

Axel took the lead. It was surprisingly easy- almost suspiciously so. There were neither Heartless nor Nobodies here, and even the people were few in number. Then again, it was early morning. The fewer people out, the fewer enemies there would be.

We wove our way through town. I watched Axel's face the whole time, waiting for some sort of reaction. This had been where he and Roxas hung out, after all. That much I knew- I'd always heard them talking about meeting there while in the Organization. I could say it as much as I wanted, but it was a lie- I had never been part of their group. I hadn't been part of any group, really. Yes, I'd talked to both of them, a lot. But were we friends? Nobodies couldn't have friends. I hadn't been included in their special group, but Xion had.

Her name _again._ I hadn't been able to tell Axel about her yet. How come he didn't remember her? Just because she was a replica didn't mean she had no existence, ever.

I sighed. The five of us faced a large crack in the wall, which I could see led into a small forest.

Sora blinked. "Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"Positive," Axel said.

I knew how it looked. But the Committee and I had grown to trust Axel this past week or so. Sora had no real reason to, though.

What was through here? I tried to remember my recon missions. Right… an abandoned mansion. I hadn't been able to get through the gate, even by dark corridor. Some kind of magic lock on top of the very big real lock.

The forest was… pretty. Twilight Town was always in an eternal sunset. I stared at everything through my new eyes, drifting behind them. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of gold fly through the trees.

"Huh?"

"What is it, Demyx?" Axel asked.

I shook my head. "I thought I saw something… must have been a trick of the light." But it wasn't.

The forest emptied out into a small area by the gate. Ivy climbed the peach-colored walls.

I saw more gold… it was a Keyblade, I recognized with some confusion. Who was this person…?

"King Mickey!" Sora shouted with jubilance.

"Who?" Axel muttered.

I shrugged. "He said they were looking for their king… I guess this is him."

The figure with the Keyblade turned around slowly. He was a… mouse, that's for start. He wore large yellow shoes and an outfit with a red vest and shorts. It actually looked similar to how Sora was dressed. The King didn't look nearly as happy to see them as they were to he. "Hey… fellas."

"Your Majesty! Where have you been?" Sora asked. "We've been looking everywhere for you," He paused, waiting for an answer. None came. "Have you seen Riku lately?"

"Nope, not a trace," The King said. Had I not once been a Nobody, I wouldn't have realized; he'd lied. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"You sensed it, too?" Axel whispered.

"Yeah. There's something he doesn't want Sora to know."

Axel sneered. "Well, looks like their faith in their king was for nothing."

"It was one lie. I wonder why…?"

Before I could finish my sentence, Sora turned to us. "This is Demyx and Axel. They work with the Restoration Committee and they used to be members of Organization XIII, but they're human now."

The King gave us an appraising glance. "…Are you sure it's safe to trust them, Sora?"

He blinked. "Yes, if Leon does. I just don't sense anything evil about them."

The King tilted his head, and then nodded. "You're right."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Where are you all going?" The King asked.

Sora hesitated. "We're… we're going to face Xemnas. Axel knows how to get there."

The King glanced at Axel. "I was just heading there as well," he said. "We should travel together."

"All right!" Goofy cheered. "It's been too long, Your Majesty?"

Mickey forced a smile at his friend.

"Well… why are you going?" Sora asked. "This is my battle."

"…I have a friend who's in trouble," he finally said. "I should have done something a long time ago. But now…"

"…Right." Sora turned. I noticed that since the last time here, the gate had been opened. I had never been in the mansion before. Axel sighed.

"I hate this place," he told me.

"Is it because of… Roxas?" I asked.

"I… I suppose. I really wanted to save him, you know? He was my best friend."

"…Was?" Automatically, I looked to Sora, who was chatting with the King. The King himself looked stressed.

Axel looked towards him, too. "I thought that… maybe Roxas would recognize me, if they're supposedly one now," he murmured. "But so far… nothing. And even though he's a nice guy… Sora just isn't him." He shrugged. "That's all said and done. I understand that Roxas is where he needs to be. I was being selfish in trying to get him back. …That's how I figured out how to get from here to 'Never Was. I wasn't on a mission. I was trying to get him back. There was… a glitch in the programming. I don't know why, but it leads straight to where we need to go."

I exhaled.

"Are you sure you can face him, Demyx?" Axel prompted.

"Yes," I whispered. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

"…Let's go," Axel finally said. "The others are ahead of us."

The inside of the mansion was worn and dusty. It was obviously once a beautiful place, but now it was a wreck.

The King was already leading them.

"He must know about it," Axel muttered. "I'm not surprised. He might have been the one to tear the hole in the programming- the glitch."

"I'm confused," I admitted.

"Don't worry about it. It's all just technical."

We walked into a library. At least, it had the guise of a library. The floor was missing; instead, a staircase led down into a blue basement.

"I remember this," Sora gasped. "I… I woke up here!"

"Yes," Mickey said. "It's no coincidence." He turned. "Something happened to your memories, Sora. We had to fix them. A man named DiZ oversaw the work."

"My… memories?"

"I'll explain later," Mickey said honestly. "I don't know all the details."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Is this DiZ your friend?"

Mickey stared at me. "How did you know?"

"Deduction," I said blankly. "How else would you know about all this stuff, unless DiZ himself told you about it?"

"Where have I heard that name before?" Axel muttered.

Sora blinked. "Let's just keep going," he pleaded, and went straight into the next room.

We were confronted with a computer. It blipped gleefully, the screensaver flickering.

"I've done this before," Axel said. "Let me handle it." He sat down. "There's a password. Mickey, you know DiZ. Maybe you can make sense of it."

The King crossed over to him. Sora looked at me and shrugged.

The screen looked something like this.

**Password?**

**-Sky sugar**

**-Liver pepper**

**-Sea salt**

"Well, sea salt is the flavor of an ice cream," Axel murmured.

Mickey brightened. "DiZ loves ice cream!"

"I hope that's the answer, then," Axel said, and selected the choice.

All of a sudden, a white light shot down from a sort of device near the computer.

"Whenever you're ready," Axel told us dryly, "That'll take us to the virtual world."

"Just a minute," Sora said. "Demyx, why don't you suit up? I just want to talk to the King for a minute. Axel, you can bring the others on over."

"Okay," Axel said uneasily. He led them over. "Just touch the beam, when you're ready."

He and the two of them quickly disappeared. Sora took Mickey into the other room. With my heightened sense of hearing, I'd be able to hear every word. I quickly threw the coat on, tucking my pants into my boots- it wasn't like I had any other shoes- and pulled on the gloves. I was just about to leave when I heard them start to talk.

"Your Majesty… are you sure you haven't heard anything from Riku? Nothing at all? You two were together when we sealed you in the realm of darkness." I sensed a hint of suspicion on top of Sora's desperation to find his friend.

I went to touch the beam, but I couldn't stop listening. Personally, I was curious to myself as to why the King had lied.

"Sora, I'm sorry."

"…You're sorry that you can't tell me anything, or you're sorry because something went wrong?" Sora's voice was soft.

"Sora, please. Don't think it's not difficult for me, too." Still ambiguous, Your Majesty.

"How? I've just been blindly searching for you guys. I thought you were well and truly missing at some point… but you've been avoiding me."

"It's complicated."

"Yeah, that's what everyone says." Sora sighed. "What is it, though? Why were you avoiding us? I can understand that you are fighting the darkness… but so are we. And what's going on with him? Riku's alive, I just know he is."

"Sora…" the King exhaled. "There's no stopping you, is there? Okay. I made him a promise."

"To what?"

"To not tell you where he was."

"What?" I could hear some anger, some pain. "Why?"

"Riku didn't think you'd understand what happened to him. He doesn't feel like he belongs to the realm of light anymore."

Sora exhaled too, and I really heard the pain in his voice. "He needs us. We can't just let him do this."

"Sora, I tried to talk him into coming with me. He wouldn't have it. See, the whole time you were sleeping… he was protecting you. He was working hard to see that you woke up the way you used to be."

"…That's another thing I don't understand. What happened to my memories? What made them so they had to be fixed?"

The King paused. "That's a story for another time."

"Promise me. I need to know the truth."

"You're not quite ready. But I will tell you. Someday."

They must have evidentially shook hands. I gasped and touched the beam, hoping they hadn't found me listening in on them.

There was a flash of bright light, and suddenly, I was standing in the same exact room as before- only the computer was smashed to bits.

Axel raised his eyebrow with me. "What took you so long? Did you get caught in the zipper or something? And what's with the face?"

I shook my head, feeling too strange to react to his innuendo. "I'll tell you about it later."

Sora and the King appeared only a few seconds after I had. Sora looked hurt. The King looked sheepish and ashamed.

"Well, let's go, guys," Sora said without the enthusiasm he'd had before.

Axel led us into another room. It was large, with only one doorway, and a green pattern in lights running across the floor. Everything was blue metal, like the rest of the place. There was swirling red and green light in the corner. "That's our way there," he said, pointing.

We proceeded. The room… changed. We were in this odd sort of lane in between- it was almost cylindrical, like those illusions where the room spins and you feel like everything's tilting. I took a tentative step forward.

Axel swore. "Damn… they sealed the entrance." He pointed to the edge. "It _used to be _over there…"

"Don't worry," the King said. "I've got it covered." He whipped out his Keyblade and walked to the edge of this… area.

"What are you going to do?" Sora asked.

The King smiled a little. "There's more to being a Keyblade Master than just being a powerful fighter," he said. He raised his blade so it was parallel to the ground, and turned it, like one would with an actual lock and key.

An odd sense of power swept over the room. Everything around the edge of the blade swirled together, stirring a dizzy feeling inside of me. It was unnatural, what he was doing; not evil, but I didn't like the feeling it game me. I stumbled. For a minute, I nearly fainted.

"Demyx, what's wrong with you?" Axel hissed. He grasped my arm. I closed my eyes.

There was an odd ripping sound. I gasped. For a second everything went white. I quickly regained control of myself. What was this? Why was this happening?

"Come on," Axel said gently, pulling on my arm.

I noticed, through a hole in this room, that the World that Never was waiting for us.

* * *

It was raining.

The rain kissed my face. I looked up to the sky. It hardly ever rained here. I shook off the last remnants of that weird trance.

"…Where do we go from here?" Sora asked.

"It's this way," Axel said. "Not far at all… we're just on some side streets."

"I didn't think it was a whole world," Sora told him honestly. "I just thought it was the castle…"

"It might as well be," Axel agreed. "It's just… an empty city."

I felt someone staring at me and turned. It was the King. He had an odd look on his face. "What is it?" I asked him.

"Nothing, I was just thinking," he said. "You remind me of someone I know."

That was interesting. Was it a good thing? Or was I reading too much into it to think that maybe he knew Xehanort…? "Oh…"

All of us continued through the streets. I remembered them better than I thought. There were plenty of Heartless for us to fight, but all of them were mere Shadows- weak.

Even under the sky and the large moon that was Kingdom Hearts, I felt slightly suffocated. The buildings seem to press in on me. I hoped this wasn't foreshadowing for what was to happen next.

"There's no one here," Sora whispered, his voice carrying easily in the dark street. "It's so… eerie."

"The whole place is just abandoned," Axel explained. "No one… lives here. Not even the lesser Nobodies. I'm not even sure why there's a city. It's probably symbolic in some way."

I bobbed my head.

In front of us now loomed a large building. Memory's Skyscraper, my mind provided. It seemed like ages since I had been here. Blue and green lights ran up and down the building, flashing and blipping. For a second, before I looked away, I saw one of my memories flicker on the screen. I blinked hard. That was the last thing I needed.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sora disappear.

It was the weirdest thing. He was gone for the slightest second- almost a trick of the light. I was about to convince myself that it hadn't really happened… until he turned to us. "Who was… that?"

"Who was what?" Axel asked.

"The guy. The guy in the black coat."

I raised an eyebrow and pulled on my sleeve.

"No, not you…" Sora looked at us, panicked. "Someone… else."

"Well… what did he look like?" I asked.

He glanced away. "No… never mind. It's not important."

"You sure?" Axel asked.

"Yes. I'm still tired, that's all." This wasn't the problem, I was sure of it. Sora himself looked confused, almost like he'd seen a ghost. "Let's just get this over with."

There was a moment of silence.

"Yeah, it's… this way," I muttered.

And sure enough, the castle was there. Waiting for us.

* * *

I hate... necessary chapters... XD Yes, it _achieves_ something, but this chapter wasn't very fun to write. I was glad I had written almost the whole thing ahead of time, because between a family emergency and work, I've had almost no time to write, and the time I did have, I wasn't able to complete anything. I have that type of writer's block where the ideas are in my head, but they don't write out well.

And the last few lines. What lazy writing that is, oh my gosh. I didn't know how to put that into words. I don't think I included that bit in the original. Oh well.

Still no update for One Hundred Snapshots this week. I just can't finish this one prompt. I don't know why. It's very difficult.

Thank you all for your reviews last week, especially from **_TheChel, Mystical, The Ninja And The Writer, Willowfur, _**anonymous reviewers _**Wolven24KH **_and _**WinxKHeartsPitchiMewSailorFan**_, and Anna. Is it too much to ask for eight reviews this time around? I need some inspiration.

Next update: July 28th


	26. Room With a View

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

Chapter Twenty-Six  
Room With a View

I exhaled. I'd known it was almost over, yes, but actually _being_ here, being so close to seeing him, was starting to get a little overwhelming.

There was no way we could physically get to the castle; the city ended, and the castle began. Below us was a sort of vortex; it looked like it would swallow you up if you so fell. I blinked and ignored the sudden feeling of vertigo, forcing myself to only focus on the castle and the others.

"How do we get in there?" Goofy asked. I'd almost forgotten about him and Donald. They must have spoken over the past few minutes, but if so I hadn't heard.

"That's easy," Sora said, whipping out his Keyblade and flicking his wrist. A transparent bridge formed, connecting the road with the lowest part of the castle- Nothing's Call, I remembered. Whose idea was it to name each and every single room, I wondered? It was all so symbolic to Nobody culture and was supposedly insightful when it came to human life.

I stared unblinkingly at Organization XIII's base; this had once been my home, but now, I felt an urge to run away and never come back. Yet I couldn't lose my nerve now, not when we were so close.

"We should split up when we get in there," Sora continued. "We don't know what's going to happen. They could have seen us coming. They might not know we're here. Either way… I'm ready for this to end."

I nodded in agreement, still looking up, at the moon now. It was so big; it felt like it would crush me. It cast a pale blue glow on the ground.

"Donald and Goofy will look for Kairi," Sora said, taking out one of the communicators and throwing it at them. "Your Majesty… you have to find your friend and help him, right?"

The mouse king frowned. "He's here… I'm sure of it. I don't know what he wants to do, and I don't know where he is. But maybe it would be best if I went with Donald and Goofy."

"If you're sure," Sora murmured. "Axel… you said you wanted to fight Saïx alone, right? Where do you think he'll be?"

"He might just be with Xemnas," he admitted. "Those two are pretty inseparable. We should stick together for as long as possible anyway."

"Where are we supposed to go to find Kairi?" Donald asked. "We've never been here before."

"That's… probably near where they kept me, isn't it?" I inquired. "Axel, where is that?"

"Not all that far from here, actually." He paused, and then gave them directions. "Just… watch your back. I don't know what's down there, other than her."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked.

"The lesser Nobodies. Eighty percent of the Organization has been killed, so we shouldn't have to worry about theirs… each one of them had their own type of Nobody to control. If ours still exist, we should be able to get them under control… but the others, they pack a punch."

"We can take 'em!" Donald announced.

"What should we do once we find Kairi?" Goofy asked.

Sora hesitated. "You need to keep her away from Xemnas until all this is over. Once he and Saïx are gone, we can plan our next move. But for now, everything is kind of one step at a time." He turned to Axel and I. "Alright, guys, let's go."

In two groups of three, we crossed the bridge, and set foot into the house of the enemy.

I don't know what I expected, but nothing happened immediately. Did Xemnas notice our presence? Was he ignoring it? In my years here, I was never sure whether the castle was just that or whether it was connected to him in some way psychically.

None of the lesser Nobodies came close to us; none of them even showed up. Progress was easy. Donald, Goofy, and the King went off to find Kairi. Sora followed us as we walked further into the castle, looking behind.

"I really wish it had been me to have found her," he confessed. "But… she'll always be here when it's over… right?"

"We're not in a hurry," I told him. "If it really was so important to you… why didn't you say something?"

He shrugged. "I just figured…" but Sora never completed the sentence.

"…There are a handful of places they could be," Axel told us after a moment. "We might want to go to the Round Room first; that's the most likely choice. There's also Xemnas' office, and their Proofs."

"Proofs?" Sora asked.

"Proof of Existence," I elaborated. "It's a few things, actually. We're all given a title when we join the Organization- usually something to do with our personality. Then, we also get a small space somewhere in the castle to do what we want with it, kind of like a sanctuary. But the Proofs… the sort of door that leads to each Nobody's area shows whether they're alive or not. You get it?"

Sora paused. "I think I do," he finally said. "Everything they do has a double meaning, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Axel said, glowering.

"That's ironic… considering they don't have emotions."

"I wouldn't mind seeing the Proofs anyway," I commented, feeling my heart stutter. "We can see if Xigbar and Luxord are still alive. I wonder what the Proof does if its owner is human? Wouldn't it just disappear, because it's not needed anymore?"

"We'll just have to see," Axel said casually.

I'd somehow forgotten just how _empty_ the castle was- all the colorlessness, the utter _hollowness_ that was everywhere. As a human here, I had been too sick to really notice it, and as a Nobody, naturally I hadn't cared. But now… it poked out at me, felt like it would crush and consume me.

"I never understood that," I whispered. "Why is everything so… pale?"

"Come on, Demyx, do I really have to explain this one?" Axel raised an eyebrow. "It was to both prove a point about the emptiness of being a Nobody- and to reflect what little light there is here."

I shrugged. I'd known the answer. "The Proofs are… not much farther, are they?"

"Why are you so nervous? They're fine, Demyx, I know they are. I saw Xigbar escape. And Luxord… well, you know how easy it is for him to disappear."

I bobbed my head. "I still need to know."

"Are they… your friends?" Sora asked tentatively.

I hesitated. "Xigbar saved my life," I told him. "He deserves the chance to be human. And Luxord… he's not a bad guy."

"You didn't answer the question."

"…Yes, I suppose. As close to friends as possible as we could be, anyway."

"Demyx?" Axel said in a soft voice. "It's through here."

I paused and took a deep breath. "Okay. Let's go."

The first thing I noticed was that half of the Proofs had been smashed- no, more than that. Only five had been left untouched. Saïx's, Xigbar's, Luxord's, Axel's, and mine. Saïx's was, unfortunately, a bright blue, like Axel's and mine.

The other two, I had to force myself to look at.

Xigbar's was blue. I exhaled. Good, now I'd only have to find him. When I finally steeled myself enough to look at Luxord's, I discovered it was also blue.

It was strange, because I'd never considered the thought that either of them could be dead until I remembered the Proofs. In fact, it was more than possible, it was probable, and yet I knew now that they were both still alive.

"Can I… can I go into my Proof?" I asked Axel. "Would it still be there?"

"It's up to you, really," he told me. "I'm not the boss of you. Just don't take too long."

"…Sora?"

He nodded. "Go ahead, Demyx."

"I might check mine, too," Axel said. "I don't know how it could be helpful, but it couldn't hurt."

I turned and took one last glance at them before I went inside.

* * *

I found myself in a garden. Being surrounded by color and sound after so much emptiness was a little disorienting.

My Proof was a small area, just a patch of grass leading up to a pool where a little waterfall emptied itself. The water was warm, too… I could smell the steam. It had been a while since I'd been here. This had been my favorite place in the castle, where I was most at peace, where it was easiest to compose. I sat by the pool and crossed my legs. Oddly enough, I felt at peace. I closed my eyes for a moment.

When I opened them, a girl was standing in front of me.

She was small with dark hair and an intense face.

"Don't be scared," she said quickly.

I blinked a few times. I _recognized_ this person; yet, I didn't at the same time. "I'm not scared of you," I told her.

She sat down across from me. She was wearing the Organization coat.

"X…xion?" I whispered in disbelief. "But what… what happened to you?"

She wrinkled her nose. "It's weird to explain," she murmured. "I was manipulated. Roxas… he had to kill me to set me free. My life needed to end anyway. I was about keep Sora from ever waking up."

Did this have something to do with the memories of Sora's the King had been talking about?

"But that's not why I'm here."

"Then why are you here?" I asked. "And if you're… dead… how come I can see you?"

"I'm not dead. I never existed," she said calmly. "In fact, you're the only one who knows who I am- you're the only one who remembers. I don't know why it was _you_."

I raised an eyebrow. "I don't quite follow."

"You don't need to." She smiled. "How are… Axel and Roxas?"

"Axel's fine," I told her. "He's human, Xion. So am I."

"What's that like?" She asked.

"It's better than you could imagine," I told her honestly.

"And Roxas?"

I hesitated. "He's human, too."

Her face softened. "This is so cool! I'm so happy for you!"

I tugged at my collar.

Xion sensed my anxiety. She bit her lip. "He… he went back to Sora, didn't he?"

I nodded.

"I knew it had to happen. That's why… that's kind of why I had to go away."

"So could you… could you come back? If you're based on memories? I remember you, and Axel would if I just told him…"

Xion shook her head. There were tears in her eyes. "My body has been destroyed. I guess there's a very slim chance that I could come back… if someone who was close to me remembered. My body was basically made of memories- that's why almost everyone forgot about me. Other than you… and Riku. And neither of you were very close to me."

I sighed. "Xion…"

"But I'm fine the way I am," she murmured. "I did what I was meant to do."

"I wish we could have been friends," I told her.

She smiled. "Me, too."

"I should be leaving. But one thing… is this real?"

"It's all happening in your head," she told me. "But that doesn't mean it's not real."

"And you? Are you real?"

"Sometimes it seems like I'm not," she said without looking at me. "We'll just have to see… won't we?" She was fading.

"Wait! What do you mean?"

Xion smiled at me before she faded completely.

* * *

"Donald, I think we're lost."

The magician waved dismissively at him. "Nonsense. I know exactly where we're going." Though all the halls seemed to blend into the next…

"Gawrsh, are you sure? I'm pretty sure Axel said…"

"Ah, what does that big palooka know?"

"Um, he's actually been here before?"

"Donald?" The King tried.

"_I know where I'm going._ It can't be that far from here."

"Donald?"

"We could ask him for directions. Demyx, he has one of those things, that's kind of why we have those communicators…" Goofy tried to salvage.

"Donald!" The King shouted.

"What? What?" He snapped.

"It's that way. The turn was back there."

Donald flushed. As equally as the King treated him, he didn't like to disobey. "Oh."

* * *

Kairi was bored. There was no way to describe the amount of boredom she felt. After she got over the terror of being captured, there was simply nothing for her to do. No one had even showed up, beyond that first man. She'd escape, but where would she go? And the bars were just a hair too close together to slip through.

How long had she even been here? Days? Weeks? There was no sense of time. At least she had her own bathroom. She didn't know what she'd do then.

"I'm telling you, she's not down here."

The voice startled Kairi. At first, she wasn't even sure she'd actually heard it. Having gone so long without company, she'd started to doubt other people actually existed. Well, that was ridiculous; she hadn't been here quite that long… yet, the constant silence and isolation was wearing on her sanity.

Yet, once she heard the voice, the first though that jumped to mind was…

(IsitSora?)

She looked up, heart racing.

"Kairi? Are you down here?"

It wasn't his voice. But it was _a voice._ Someone had come to get her, and all that mattered, aside from finding Sora, was getting out of here. Kairi leaned as far out of the cell as she could. "Hey! Over here!" She shouted.

She heard footsteps. "…Who are you?" Her voice was far more timid now. The figures in front of her were familiar… at least, the first two were.

The dog took his hat off and bowed. "Goofy, at your service, princess."

Princess? Oh, right… she was a Princess of Heart. She'd nearly forgotten… but what did it matter?

"I'm Donald, princess," the duck introduced.

"King Mickey, pleased to meet you," the mouse greeted, smiling. "Sora sent us to get you."

"…Sora?" Sora was here? All the times she fantasized about seeing him again… What would she do?

(And somewhere deep inside was the disappointment he hadn't come for her himself…)

"Where is he? _How _is she?" She asked.

"Do you know why you're here, Kairi?" The King asked kindly.

She blinked. "Well, no. I was in Twilight Town… a dog had led me through a portal…" she blushed, realizing how stupid it sounded. "I ran into some friends of Sora's, and I was going to stay there until he came back. But a blue-haired man… he told me he needed me as bait… and he put me in here." Kairi bit her lip.

"Well, we're going to get you out," the King continued. "Please back up." He turned to the duck. "Donald, cast Fire on the bars."

The magician hesitated. "Are you sure, Your Majesty…?"

The King smiled. "Of course."

He pulled out a staff, and suddenly the bars were glowing red-hot. "What now?" Donald asked.

The King summoned his Keyblade. _He had one, too?_ Kairi thought. _I thought only Sora…_

A Keyblade flying through the bars interrupted her thought. She ducked reflexively; the weapon, however, rebounded like a boomerang within millimeters of her face. Fear aside, she noticed there was now a space large enough for her to crawl through.

Once Kairi was out of her cell, she turned to the three warriors. "Well, thank you… but where are we?"

"The base of Organization XIII," Donald explained. "They're Nobodies… people without hearts."

"And Sora's here?"

He nodded.

"Where is he? How is he?" She repeated.

"Sora's just fine," Goofy said. "Right now he… he has to do something. He wanted to be here, but…"

Her heart fluttered. "No, I understand." She looked around. "What… what happened… since I saw him last?"

With some hesitation, they told her.

* * *

While Demyx visited his Proof, Axel turned to Sora.

"And how do you feel about all this?" He asked briskly.

"…Kind of overwhelmed. It's like it's happening all too quickly," Sora confessed, shaking his head. "But I'll be glad when it's all over… hey, Axel. Where are you going?"

Axel stood at the threshold of Saïx's Proof. "I'm going in there," he answered calmly.

"But he… he could be in there," Sora said, as if dazed.

"Yes, I know. That's the point."

"At least let me go with you."

"This is something I need to do on my own," Axel told him firmly. "Just stay here and wait for Demyx… and don't either of you come inside."

"Why not?" Sora asked.

Axel gave Sora an exasperated look and stepped inside.

Demyx, meanwhile, had come back from inside his Proof, looking more puzzled than ever. "Yeah… why not?"

* * *

Saïx's Proof, the Addled Impasse, was bright and silent.

The room gave an excellent view of the moon, which seemed to drape arms down. Axel felt faintly suffocated. He looked around. He found his target within a few seconds, staring at the moon- of course. As long as he had known Saïx, and even Isa, the man had been obsessed with astronomy.

"Lovely night," Axel said casually.

Saïx turned around and bared his teeth. "Indeed it is."

In the space of a few seconds, the two had summoned their weapons and were now at each other's throats after a brief struggle, Axel threw Saïx to the ground.

"I've been waiting for you to appear," Saïx admitted in that monotone, standing up easily.

"Am I that predictable?" Axel asked, a hand on his hip.

Saïx smirked. "Why are you here, Lea? You think you want to kill me; but are you sure it's not for another reason?"

"If you think I'm coming back to you guys, you're crazy," Axel said, shaking his head. "No… I want revenge."

Another smile. "For what?"

"For… what?" Axel was thinking too quickly- for tons of reasons, he thought bitterly. For betraying him, that was for sure. For going to Xemnas' side. Weren't they supposed to make their own Organization? What happened to that? Did it ever start?

No… there was something else. Something deeper… more… emotional? Axel's memories had always been clear; ever since turning human, he'd never had trouble remembering what happened, like Demyx had. Damn it, why couldn't he remember?

The image crept into his head. A dark-haired girl. Who was she? She had… a cloak? An Organization cloak? How could there have been a fourteenth member? What was her name, anyway? It had to be… a trick. An illusion. But from the look on Saïx's face, Axel suddenly knew that he had no recollection at all.

Xion. How he knew that name, he didn't know, it just seemed right… everything seemed to be in fast motion. All of a sudden, he had a terrible headache and was dizzy.

And, just as abruptly, there was a claymore at his side. It seemed like Saïx had taken advantage of Axel's vertigo.

Too dazed by the injury and the memory, Axel collapsed.

* * *

I love the relationship between Axel and Saix- it's so complicated. They used to be friends... it's hard to explain what happened between them, and how that must make either of them think.  
I really want to make the battle scene between them good. Of course, it's not over yet. This story is not over yet!  
And more Xion involvement. I don't like her role in Days, but I do think she's not a bad character, and that taken out of context, she'd seem like less of a Sue.

Thank you _**Willowfur, TheChel, vildtiger, Mystical, SoraIsMyHomeBoy, Zemby, The Ninja And The Writer, **_anonnie _**Wolven24KH**_, and Anna for reviewing last chapter. We are seven reviews from two-hundred! Can I please have that much? :O

Next update: August 4th


	27. Old Friends

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

Chapter Twenty-Seven  
Old Friends

Axel had only been unconscious for a few seconds before he was violently roused; he felt the familiar Cure spell wash over him and heard the thud of an injector on the ground.

The first thing Axel said when he had regained his bearings were "What was that?"

Saïx was standing at the edge of the room, staring up at the sky. The moon seemed to have grown. It was overwhelming Axel. "Epinephrine," he answered. "To wake you."

The pyro blinked. "If you wanted to keep me alive, why did you attack me in the first place?"

Saïx didn't answer. None of them ever did, especially when one questioned their logic.

Axel frowned. "So do you want to kill me, or not?"

"I don't think you came here to kill yourself. No… you want _answers_." He sneered. "What question could you possibly ask?"

Axel floundered, and then realized that Saïx was right- what did he have to ask? It was so hard to actually put his pent up feelings to words; the betrayal, the anger, the regret, even _longing_ for a friendship lost and a friendship that had been forcibly torn apart. Saïx couldn't even possibly understand. So Axel jumped to a new tangent. "What happened to your plan to overthrow Xemnas?" He asked, standing up. Cure had mostly taken care of his injuries; yet, he still felt drained and weak.

"Situations change," Saïx explained casually, turning around. "And so do plans."

"So you're on his side now?"

Saïx stared at him blankly. "The Organization is dead, Axel," he responded with that irritating calmness. "Half of our members lost at Castle Oblivion. Some killed by Sora. Others… missing, or human." He spat the last word. "We never could figure out what caused a Nobody to have a heart." The sneer was back again. "Obviously, it seems you didn't discover it because of intelligence or logic- otherwise, you wouldn't be here."

"I'm supporting my friends," Axel said shortly.

"Friends," Saïx said slowly, as if the word tasted funny.

Axel took a step forward. "What happened to you, Isa?" He asked in a soft voice. "What changed you? What made you want what he wants?" Axel paused. "It's all a lie, Isa."

Saïx didn't move, or even seem to hear Axel. "A lie," he repeated.

"Yes," Axel whispered, not quite sure what was going on. "He was using you, all along. All of us. Kingdom Hearts… it would never give us hearts. He was just using it for power." Axel approached the man who was once his best friend. "…Isa?"

Saïx was smirking again, and Axel knew that no matter how hard he tried, his old friend was gone. Gone forever.

Which would make the next step that much easier.

However, Saïx anticipated Axel's next action and moved first. He whipped out his claymore and the next thing Axel knew; he had been thrown against his wall.

"I was never in this to become human," the Berserker stated, as Axel whipped out his weapons. "Why do you think I tried to overthrow Xemnas? These humans have ruined you, Axel. I knew what was going on all along. Kingdom Hearts… it was to be mine! And it still will be… once Sora destroys Xemnas, nothing will stand in my way!"

"Blah, blah, blah," Axel said, settling quickly into the pattern. "You're a walking cliché, you know that?" He felt a sneer of his own on his face. "You forgot about me!" All at once, he threw his flaming chakram into Saïx. The weapon pinned the older man to the wall. Axel lifted the other, ready to just get it over with.

Yet he hesitated.

Axel couldn't help it- it was in his humanity. Why was he still hoping that this was all a mistake? Saïx had been a lost cause for a while. Isa wasn't even in his eyes anymore, not in their color, not in their spirit. This wasn't his old friend anymore- it never was.

Then why couldn't he kill him?

"You never could kill with as much… finesse as the others," Saïx admitted, referencing their past. "You always cried. Humans are just objects- worthless and interchangeable, always talking about their _feelings_. Such selfish, instinctive creatures- even more so than us!" He laughed emotionlessly. "This is why we need Kingdom Hearts- to build the world anew."

And then it began. The fight. Endless parrying, it seemed, each man hitting one another once in a while. At first, it seemed like Axel had the advantage- he was skilled in both close and far away combat, and his fire was a much more deadly element. But Saïx was more than holding his own- the claymore's size gave it a boost in strength, and Saïx was quick to keep close to him, giving Axel no opportunity to attack, only to defend.

Then Saïx went Berserk.

Axel risked a hit to get away from Saïx; however, there was more power behind it than expected, and his chakram was ripped from his hand; it bounced off the wall and he barely ducked.

Once free of Saïx, the first thing he did was run across the room- trailing blood, Axel noticed fleetingly. His shoulder had been dislocated by Saïx's blow; the blades on the claymore left a long gash across his entire arm. Axel clutched at the wound desperately, cursing the day he laughed at Zexion's healing lesson. Even so, it was never something Axel had been good at. He'd always had to carry extra potions around on missions, and of course, he didn't have any at the moment.

The blood spilt alarmingly fast. It was the only color in the entire room.

Saïx paused; even in his Berserk state, the red blood seemed to distract him. Axel watched it too, for a second. He grabbed his weapon with his good arm and threw it at his former friend- contrary to Axel's expectations, it hit, slicing Saïx's throat. Unfortunately, it missed the jugular. Saïx recoiled. Again, in the split second of opportunity, Axel took aim and threw again. This time he missed, however, and the lone chakram flew back into his hand, the other having been long deserted.

The blow to the head and neck seemed to have disoriented the Nobody. Ignoring the strong pull to walk away, Axel leapt, chakram in hand.

(I'msorryIsa.)

The blade plunged into Saïx's chest. There was no heart to wound, but the strike alone sliced some crucial veins and snapped his spine. That gray, syrupy blood started to seep out, much more slowly than the torrent of red gushing from Axel's arm.

Saïx crumpled and hit the ground, weapon disappearing. Axel approached him, kneeling next to the Diviner.

"Saïx?" He asked in a soft voice.

The man gave a shuddering cough and opened his eyes. "L…lea?"

Axel nodded. "Yes, Isa. It's me."

"What's going on? I… I had the worst dream…"

"It's all okay now," the pyro comforted. Part of Axel, the battle-hardened part, mused, _if all I had to do was restore him to normal was hit him hard enough, I would have done it ages ago._

And it was true- the heavy malignant presence had disappeared. Even the gold in Saïx's eyes had faded, leaving behind their original blue. With a trembling hand, the wounded Nobody touched where he had been hit. "Y-you…"

Axel nodded. "You had to be stopped, Isa. What you were doing wasn't cool."

The man blinked, and then nodded. "You're… you're hurt."

"I'll be fine." He was feeling the distinct pull of vertigo now that he'd lost all that blood.

"I'm sorry," Saïx murmured. "For everything."

"So am I," Axel confessed.

Tendrils of black were beginning to gather. Saïx was fading.

"Will you stay with me? Lea?"

"Until the very end," Axel told him, taking the Diviner's hand.

And he watched as his friend was consumed by the nothingness.

* * *

Donald, Goofy, Kairi, and the King were running down the hall. After the three of Sora's allies had given her an abridged version of the story, all four of them were now racing to find Sora- actually, Kairi was, and the others were just trying to keep up.

"Wait, Princess…"

She ignored the speaker and kept running. She also ignored the fact that she had no idea where she was going. "Where did they say they would be?" She snapped.

"Well, Demyx and Axel mentioned something about visiting their Proofs… but what are they? Where are they?" The King quickly asked. He could use the communicator, sure, but he had no time; not when he was trying to chase down Kairi.

Kairi skidded to a stop and jogged down a hallway. Donald groaned and chased after her, crashing into the Princess when she came to a complete stop.

Sora, who had been leaning against the wall casually, caught sight of her, and his eyes widened in surprise. "K…kairi?" He hadn't been expecting her to look so differently- he still imagined the fourteen-year-old girl he'd last seen. And of course, she was beautiful. He flushed. "Is that really you?"

She nodded. She, too, hadn't expected him to look that much older. After all, the two friends hadn't seen each other in over a year. He was so… so… She blushed, too.

Later on, neither of them would be able to tell who moved first, but somehow, they ended up in an embrace. Kairi's face was crushed against his chest, but she didn't care; she was too busy absorbing his utter _Sora-ness_. He stroked her hair.

"Is this… real?" He asked her in a whisper. She nodded, starting to cry with joy. The continued to hug each other, oblivious to the stares and throat clearing of the others.

* * *

I paced nervously, back and forth. Axel had been gone for a long time, and I was more than a little worried. Sure, I respected the fact that Axel wanted to take care of him on his own, but I had no idea if the two were evenly matched or if Saïx had the advantage over him.

I paused, once again staring at the Proof. It was still stubbornly blue. I was beginning to wonder if I should head in there myself when Saïx's Proof flickered… then went red.

It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I exhaled, and turned to go get Sora, who was waiting outside of the room, because he was getting anxious in here just sitting around. However, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Axel's Proof flicker, as well… The blue became a deep blue gray. I turned and ran towards the Addled Impasse.

The first thing I noticed was the blood- not only the actual imagery, but also the _smell_ of it, because the air here was so empty. I gasped. Axel was crouching on the ground, his arm spilling blood, not unlike the first time I found him human. I went over to him, wrenched his sleeve out of the way, and healed the wound.

He was disoriented because of the blood loss. What was I supposed to do? I struggled to remember. In the Organization, we all had basic first aid training, but now…

Axel seemed to snap to awareness. He took a deep breath and slowly sat up. His eyes focused on me after a long moment. "Demyx? What are you…?"

"Your Proof flickered," I explained. "I panicked. I knew you had to be hurt."

He looked down at his arm, noticing that it was no longer injured. "Oh… thanks."

I bobbed my head, distracted. "What… what happened?"

"Saïx and I fought," Axel said obviously. "It was… it was terrible."

"I know you two were once friends," I whispered.

"But the thing is… he seemed to… _come back_ once I landed the last blow. Isa, I mean. The gold faded from his eyes… and his personality one-eightied. I think that Saïx… well, his personality, at least… sort of… hid the whole time he was a Nobody."

"He became corrupted," I whispered.

"Yes." Axel paused, staring at his shoe. I suspected he was trying not to cry. "He's… it's all over now." He went to stand up, and I grabbed his arm.

"You need to rest," I told him firmly. "You lost a lot of blood."

"I'm fine," he tried to tell me.

"You can't possibly fight with us."

"But I will," he told me, glaring.

"Axel," I stated. "Just look at yourself."

And he was fairly covered in blood. His shirt was soaked. Axel winced. "What do you want me to do?"

"Go into my Proof," I told him. "There's a pond. Clean yourself up, and then relax."

"While you guys have all the fun?"

"I don't need you dying," I said firmly.

Axel hesitated. "…Yes, sir." He blinked. "What happened to you, Demyx?"

"What do you mean?"

Axel stood at the doorway. "Never mind. Good luck, Demyx. I better be seeing you back here."

And then he left.

* * *

As soon as Sora and Kairi released one another and started to chat gleefully, the King noticed something out of the corner of his eye. It was a black coat, yes, but this figure was hooded… other than that, Mickey sensed that the presence wasn't hostile- or, in fact, a Nobody.

Mickey furrowed his eyebrows. It could only be one person… and what was he doing here?

He dashed after the cloaked figure.

"Where are you going, Your Majesty?" Goofy shouted after him. The King didn't respond.

The figure now knew he was being tailed. It picked up the pace, but Mickey was nothing if he wasn't quick- he had to make up for his size some way.

The figure panicked and went to summon a dark corridor. Mickey looked after the man he knew to be his friend.

"Riku… wait!"

The figure tensed; after a moment of thought, he decided to go through the corridor. Mickey raised his voice.

"Riku, as your king, I order you to wait!"

The dark corridor disappeared, but not before another figure came through it. The cloaked figured turned and looked sheepishly at the ground, while the second looked at Mickey with a sad sort of smile.

"It's been too long, my friend," Ansem the Wise said sadly.

* * *

Sora and Kairi, clutching each other's hands, finally turned to the others. Sora looked puzzled. Donald had evidentially gone after Mickey; Goofy merely looked after him with a stunned expression.

"Where's the King? And where's Donald?" He asked.

"He saw something," Goofy said, trying to work it out. "A figure, I think. But that's not possible, is it? Saïx is gone now… and it couldn't have been Xemnas, Axel said he never leaves his rooms."

"There are only thirteen members in Organization XIII," Sora restated, thinking. It couldn't have been the blonde boy he'd seen in that weird vision? The others didn't even know about that yet- at that moment in time, he hadn't considered it important. But now… well, he felt like an idiot for not mentioning it. "Who could it be?"

"We should go and find out," Kairi said.

The three friends ran down the path that Donald and the King had taken. Before long, they ran into an awkward situation.

The figure in the Organization XIII coat and a man Sora had never seen before stood in front of Donald and the King. He wore a red garment, which covered most of his body. There were a handful of red bandages in his hand. He had blonde hair and a beard, and gold eyes. The King was staring at him, awestruck.

"Ansem the Wise? Where have you been?"

The man laughed. "I've been building this," he said, hiking up a device that Sora hadn't noticed previously. "It's about time I cleaned up the mess I made."

The King hesitated. Kairi gently pulled away from Sora, a determined look on her face. She walked toward the figure in black, peered into its hood, and said in a surprised voice, "Riku? Is that you?"

Sora was flabbergasted. Of course… who else would it be? Especially since the man who had found them in the Land of Dragons had his sword, and the Organization XIII cloak! Sora's heart skipped.

Kairi reached up and delicately removed the hood. The whole group collectively stifled gasps. Sora resisted the reflex to shout, "Ansem!"

Because this figure… the one who both Kairi and he so knew to be Riku… directly resembled Ansem, Seeker of Darkness… Xehanort's Heartless.

Sora warily approached him. Kairi took his hand and put it on top of the figure's… and in his mind, Sora saw his best friend. "It is you," he gaped. "Riku… I've been… looking everywhere for you."

"Did you ever consider… that maybe I didn't want to be found?" Riku asked in a voice much deeper than Sora remembered.

Sora's joy quickly turned to anger. "You could have told me you wanted to be alone, to try and work it all out. I would have understood! Riku, you have no idea how hard I was trying! You're my best friend, and for all I knew, you'd died." He paused. "Besides… everyone knows that the easiest way to beat the darkness… is to have friends in the light, leading you there."

"I didn't want you to see me… like this," he said. "I look exactly like your enemy, Sora. I didn't have time. I've been so busy, between helping Ansem and trying to get rid of this… awful appearance."

"We don't care what you look like," Sora told him. "You're still our friend, Riku. Why did you ever think you'd lost your place with us? Friends help friends."

Riku didn't know how to answer. He seemed like he was about to say something when another voice joined the group.

"What's going on? All of a sudden, I turn and you guys are gone. Oh…" He stared. "Well, this is awkward."

Demyx had joined the party.

* * *

Haha, Demyx. I don't know why, but I've mastered him in first person, so writing him in third is a lot more difficult.

In the end, I like the way this chapter turned out, especially the encounter between Axel and Saix. It could have been sadder, in my opinion.

And yes, the necessary sappy reunions between Sora, Kairi, and Riku. So I amped the Sokai and changed the part where Sora cries while holding Riku's hand. (That part always makes me go -_-) I hope I did well enough. I'm surprised that I even finished this chapter. I've been busy busy busy lately, between work, writing this week's chapter, and playing my PS3, which I got last Sunday. I love it, even though I haven't had time to really see what it can do.

I've still got writer's block on a prompt for One Hundred Snapshots. I'm not sure when it'll be posted, but it's not like it has a huge fanbase anyway.

Thank you _**The Ninja And The Writer, Mystical, Willowfur, TheChel, **_annonies **_Wolven24KH_** and _**Zexiontwo, **_and Anna for reviewing last chapter. I've reached just over two hundred reviews- which is extremely flattering. Thank you for all your love, support, and dedication to this fanfiction... you have no idea how much it means to me, a lowly fanficer. :)  
Next update: August 11th


	28. The Forgotten

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

Chapter Twenty-Eight  
The Forgotten

The first thing I noticed after I spoke was that the figure Sora and Kairi was clutching hands with was wearing an Organization XIII coat… and I knew automatically who he was.

Riku, also known as "The imposter!" I gasped without even realizing it. I put a hand over my mouth.

"A member of Organization XIII!" Riku retorted, poising to summon a weapon. I flinched. Great. I had been here thirty seconds and already I had caused conflict.

"No, wait, Riku!" Sora said quickly. "He's with us."

Confusion contorted the man's face. I had to admit he wasn't what I expected. His skin was dark, closer to the tan Xemnas had. His hair was the same silver… In fact, his eyes were the same color, too…

Abruptly, I realized something. The first thing that came to mind when I saw Riku's appearance was that portrait in Ansem the Wise's office… the one of Xemnas's Somebody. And Yuffie said a while back that Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, also known as Xemnas's Somebody's Heartless, was the only Heartless to have a human form.

…Then why did Riku look like Xemnas's Heartless…?

"Sora, are you sure?" Riku said in a deep voice- one that was nearly identical to Xemnas's, which only proved my theory. "This guy… he's…"

"Human," Sora cut him off. "They're _helping _us, Riku. He and a friend of his. I know what it looks like, but it's true."

Riku lowered his voice, but my Nobody ears still caught it anyway. "But I've seen this guy in action… he's a real idiot."

I gritted my teeth. This was the guy Sora worked so hard to look for? "Leon trusts him," Sora said in an equally low voice. "So that means I do. Why is it such a big deal? There were thirteen members in the Organization- they can't all be evil."

Riku exhaled. "Fine, Sora. But if he hurts you…"

Sora looked to me. "You two know each other," he said in a puzzled voice.

I glanced at Riku and back again. "Not personally… but I guess," I admitted. "When I was in the Organization last year, one of them spotted a figure in the signature coat. Everyone thought he was an imposter… and sought to kill him." I shook my head. "I had no idea he was your friend, Sora."

Sora bobbed his head. "That makes sense, I guess," he said. "This is Kairi, and this is Riku. Guys, this is Demyx."

"Nice to meet you," Kairi said. Riku just stared.

There was a very awkward pause.

"So… what happened?" Sora asked. "Is anything going on?"

"Saïx is dead," I said gently. "Axel was seriously injured. He's resting now… he shouldn't go with us."

He sighed, relieved. "Good. Now we only have to take care of Xemnas."

"He's going to use Kingdom Hearts," Ansem the Wise spoke. "It's nearly complete."

"Well, yes, but what are we going to do about it?" Sora asked. "What happens when… it's actually complete?"

"No one knows," I told him, looking at the floor. I remembered clearly a point in time when Zexion had read us all a passage. "It's never been done before. Supposedly it's a gateway to ultimate wisdom and power."

Sora paused. "Right after I fought Ansem… he nearly reached into it. The doors opened for him… but he was blinded by the light."

"This is no real Kingdom Hearts," Ansem the Wise said.

Everyone immediately looked at him, startled.

He laughed at us. "Why would it be _here_, of all places, in a world that was never meant to exist? No, I recognize Xehanort's handiwork when I see it." He half-glanced at me, further piquing my curiosity.

"So it's… fake?" Goofy asked, trying to work it all out. "How?"

"Who knows?" Ansem the Wise said. "It's not important. Not if I can stop it." He lifted up the device. "That's what this is for. If I can encode his Kingdom Hearts into data, he won't be able to access his power… and he will be that much easier to defeat."

"Even if this Kingdom Hearts is fake, it still holds the real hearts that have been collected," Mickey intervened. "All that energy is unstable. We don't know what will happen ."

"I know what I'm doing, my friend." He turned and went to place the device on the ledge; however, at that precise moment, pureblood Heartless started bursting from the walls.

Sora whipped out his Keyblade. "I thought you said Heartless don't come in here!" He barked at me.

I swallowed, just as startled. "…They don't."

From somewhere along the wall, a voice cackled. "Ah, if it isn't the mighty Keyblade wielder and his… friends."

Sora looked confused. "Maleficent? What is she doing here?"

"Who?" I asked. That name sounded familiar. "How did she get here, whoever she is?"

"She's a dark sorceress. I'm sure she has her ways." He raised his voice. "Maleficent! What do you want?"

She raised her arms. "My old home has been a bit too… cramped lately," she announced. "But this will suffice."

I paused and stood up. "You've got to be kidding me," I said in a voice too low for this sorceress to hear. "Really?"

Sora sighed. "Maleficent does this all the time. It's strange, though. Why _this_ castle?"

"Probably because we're here," I muttered. "Aren't there plenty of _other_ castles for her to plunder?"

She gestured forward, and the hordes of Heartless dashed for us.

"She couldn't have picked a more convenient time, no?" I asked Sora.

He gritted his teeth and brandished his Keyblade. "I'd just run for Xemnas," Sora whispered. "But Kairi's right here."

I glanced towards the redhead, who looked at the Heartless with an odd expression. She didn't seem… scared, though. Did she have some power none of us knew about?

Mickey sighed. "Ansem, you go work on encoding Kingdom Hearts," he said tiredly. "We'll take care of these guys."

The Heartless dove for us; between the three Keyblade wielders, I barely had to lift a finger. The area was cleared in seconds; however, it didn't remain that way for long. They just seemed to appear from nowhere. The enemies surged.

Kairi ducked their blows expertly; however, while she was great at defense, she had no weapon, and if she had magic, she wasn't using it.

An enemy flew at her from overhead- there was a _thwisk_ing sound, and the next thing I knew, the Heartless was dead, and she was holding a Keyblade in hand with a bewildered expression on her face.

I thought Keyblades were supposed to be _rare_. Now, it seemed, everyone had one.

"I didn't know you were a wielder!" Sora shouted at her amidst the battle.

"Me neither!" She yelled, slashing wildly.

* * *

The battle continued on almost endlessly. The Heartless were weak, yes, but there were many of them, and they didn't stop coming. There was no time to get distracted. Yet, out of the corner of my eye, I watched Ansem encoding Kingdom Hearts, and saw Mickey looking at him with alternatively sad and pleading looks. This I found strange, considering he had been the one to force him away.

The moon started to warp around the edges, its blue fading to a sickly yellow. The pressure in the air increased. The device Ansem held in his hands started to spark- I could see it all; he was only twenty feet away.

"What's happening?" The King yelled at him, dodging a clever Shadow.

"I'm a fool," he muttered. Even I barely caught it, between the distance and all the fighting going on. My advanced hearing was becoming quite convenient. "I can't believe I ever thought I could harness the energy in hearts… has all my research shown me nothing?"

"What are you saying?" The King asked in a softer voice. I noticed, fleetingly, that there were no Heartless around the odd device… it seemed to repel them.

"I think this is the end, my old friend," Ansem said more loudly, as the arcs of electricity around his invention sprang higher and higher. "I've created enough of a diversion… he won't be able to access Kingdom Hearts. But you must destroy him! You mustn't let my creation linger any longer!"

"His… creation?" I whispered to myself, turning towards them. Ansem eyed us all.

"I'm sorry," he spoke more clearly, to Sora. "Roxas… I'm not sure if you can hear me… but I'm sorry."

"Ansem! Wait!" The King pleaded.

"My friend, this is something I can't back away from," he continued. "Hopefully I've… saved myself…" The invention started to shudder violently. "You all know what you must do… goodbye!"

And then, the device exploded.

The light was blinding; I clamped my eyes shut. The frequency of the communicator skyrocketed at the explosion, causing everyone wearing one to flinch. I instinctively curled into a ball to protect myself; the shockwave from the explosion caused me to roll backwards into a wall.

But yet, the explosion ended nearly as soon as it had begun. I unfurled and looked around; everyone looked ruffled and a little bruised, but no one was seriously injured.

"Is everyone okay?" Sora asked, glancing around. We all looked to the place where Ansem the Wise had been standing; there was nothing there, no blood, no soot, not even a scrap of clothing, to show he'd even been there. I bit my lip. He might have fallen over the railing, but either way, he was definitely dead.

Now, I'd never known this man, but he'd known Xehanort- Xemnas's Somebody. He could have told us what we might be facing off against. He could have helped me understand the connection between us.

Mickey looked at the empty spot with devastation. Tail dropping, he shuffled past me. Sora trailed behind him. "I'm so sorry, Your Majesty," he said in a soft voice.

"It was something he needed to do," Mickey replied, looking crestfallen. "His heart wouldn't let him do otherwise."

From behind the grieving King, Kairi gasped. "Guys, look at Riku!"

Like I was watching a boring tennis match, I slowly glanced from one scene to the other.

Where the likeness of Ansem, Seeker of Darkness once stood was a whole different person; this one, I didn't even recognize at all. Riku's appearance had changed dramatically. His skin had become pale; his hair, longer and bereft of any style, hung in his face. He had become slightly shorter and much less muscular, but oddly, the cloak still fit him fairly well. I couldn't see the color of his eyes; they were covered in a blindfold.

"Riku!" Sora gaped.

The boy looked down at himself, flexing fingers. Riku cleared his throat and, very slowly, took off his blindfold. "Whoa," he murmured, as if seeing all of us for the first time. The pitch of his voice had changed ever so slightly. "I'm me again,"

"The energy of the hearts from that device must have washed away the darkness on you," Mickey explained unnecessarily, as we all had mostly drawn that conclusion.

"And the Heartless are all gone," Kairi continued. I turned slowly. She was correct; all of them, and Maleficent, had disappeared, making me wonder why she had even bothered coming in the first place.

"Well, what should we do now?" Donald asked.

"We need to keep pressing on, I guess," Sora said. "Like Ansem said… we need to defeat Xemnas."

"Right," I muttered. "What am I supposed to do? I wonder if we've lost all element of surprise by now… of if didn't even realize us in the first place?"

Sora sighed. "Who knows? I think it would be better if we just played it by ear."

"Maybe I should start on ahead," I said softly. "Like in the original plan." So much had happened in the past few hours that it was hard to keep up with.

"If… if you're sure," Sora stuttered.

"I am," I reassured him, and I was, too. I had no idea where the sudden confidence had come from, but after the long Heartless battle, I was tired and just ready to get this all over with. With one final look at Sora and his friends, I said, "Just give me fifteen minutes."

* * *

As the five friends and their King walked on in almost complete silence, Sora heard someone calling his name in a soft voice.

"_Sora_?" Almost ghostlike, he wasn't sure if it was real at first.

He walked on a few paces, deciding to ignore the voice. But after what happened at Memory Skyscraper… he wasn't sure if he was going crazy or if this was all real.

"_Sora,_" it said more insistently.

He gave in with a sigh, kneeling and pretending to tie his shoe. His friends should have known better- Sora's shoes didn't have laces- but Donald and Goofy tend to be very unobservant. They glanced at him once, and when they saw what he was doing, they kept walking.

"_Sora, this way,_" the voice continued.

He followed it almost absentmindedly. The voice was feminine; it sounded familiar. It guided him down the hallway.

There was a figure sitting on a ledge. It- no, he- was just sitting there arms on his knees. It was staring off into the distance pensively. He wore beige clothing and a checkered bracelet- without a doubt; Sora somehow knew this was Roxas.

His Nobody.

He remembered that conversation with Demyx a few months prior, how he hadn't believed it at first. But he had sacrificed his heart to save Kairi; and after seeing the boy at Memory's Skyscraper- the very same one he saw sitting in front of him- he knew it to be absolutely true.

He noticed, just next to Roxas and sketching furiously, was a girl. She was small and pale, with blonde hair and a white dress. Again, Sora knew who she was- she was Kairi's Nobody, according to Ansem the Wise's reports.

The girl looked up, her pencil halting on the page. "Oh hello… you two."

Sora looked around and saw Kairi, who was looking at him with a slightly startled expression. "You heard it, too?" He whispered.

She nodded, and addressed the two figures. "Who are you?"

Roxas addressed them now. "We're your Nobodies," he said simply.

Kairi appeared shocked. "But how? How do I…?"

The girl smiled. "When Sora stabbed himself to save you, he released both his heart and yours… Roxas was born in the normal way for a Nobody, but I was different. See, Kairi, being one of the Princesses of Heart, your body remained intact when you lost your heart. So while I am your Nobody, I was born from Sora's heart and soul."

"I'm not sure I understand," the redhead confessed.

The girl smiled again. "You don't have to. Just know that… we're here to help you." She bit her lip. "I'm not sure we introduced ourselves. My name is Naminé."

"I'm Roxas," the boy said. "See, without us, none of us are truly… whole, you two included. You may be human, but some of your power-, which lies dormant in us-, has yet to be released. You'll be needing it for the battle that has yet to come."

"You mean Xemnas?" Sora asked.

"Immediately, yes," Naminé said in her soft voice. "But just because Xemnas will soon be dead doesn't mean that he will be gone."

"Of course he won't," Sora continued. "The damage that he did to the World will last lifetimes."

Roxas and Naminé exchanged a glance.

"Your fifteen minutes are almost up," Roxas told him. "It's time for us to join with you."

"But what will happen to you?" Kairi asked.

"Roxas and I will be safe and whole," Naminé assured them. She clutched Roxas' hand. "But one request- from the both of us- is that you spend time together, so that Roxas and I can still be friends."

"Of course," Sora said, blushing.

Naminé gave one last smile at Roxas, before walking over to Kairi. She held out her hand, and the princess duplicated the motion. As soon as the two joined hands, Naminé disappeared, and Kairi glowed blue for a second.

Roxas smiled at Sora. "Look sharp," he said, and a warm feeling washed over Sora, almost like vertigo. He closed his eyes to prevent himself from falling over. When he opened them, both Nobodies were gone.

"I don't know why," Sora whispered. "But I feel as though I've just lost a good friend."

* * *

Lying down inside Demyx's Proof, Axel was digging through his pockets, hoping to find some gum. However, he soon found a pill in his pocket… a pill that he thought long ago had been destroyed with his Organization cloak.

He quickly discovered that the small, transparent capsule wasn't a pill at all; blue energy flowed inside it, almost too miniscule to see.

"Luxord," he said under his breath. "This pill wasn't meant to take care of my headache… was it? What were you trying to get at…?"

* * *

My heart was hammering. I was determined to get this over with, yes, but the anxiety was eating at me. I was trembling, and there was a feeling in the pit of my stomach that told me it wouldn't be very hard to fake being sick.

I pulled my hood up. I could see mostly the same- but losing my peripheral vision wasn't very reassuring.

The door to the Round Room was right in front of me, sealed shut. All I'd have to do was press my hand on it to open it; the door was keyed to open to the type of materials the gloves were made of. I slipped a glove on my left hand and reached toward the door.

But I hesitated.

"I can't do it," I hissed to myself, vaguely hysterical.

I stood back up anyway, ignoring my own fear. With a trembling palm, I placed my hand on the door.

It slipped open.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped inside.

* * *

Urg! Yet another cliffy! This chapter was mostly typed today... I had horrid writer's block yesterday. It would have been longer, but I think I need a break. I've been so busy, so the next two chapters should be nice and long, considering my job ends tomorrow and the rest of my summer should be relatively free.  
So yes, all the action will happen _next_ chapter.

But my feelings towards this one? Indifference. I neither like it nor hate it. But there is some more Luxy action, as one of the reviewers pointed out that Axel could still have the pills. It all works together, I guess.

Thank you _**NinjaShiek, Zexiontwo, DJ36521, TheChel, vildtiger, The Ninja And The Writer, Willowfur, Mystical, SoraIsMyHomeboy, **_and of course Anna for reviewing last chapter. I'm quite pleased with the turnout of last chapter, be it reviews or writing. Hopefully this chapter will receive as much love...?

Next update: August 18th


	29. Scissors

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I only own the plot and every character's fabricated back-story.

Chapter Twenty-Nine  
Scissors

Axel continued to stare at the little pill; glad he hadn't actually swallowed it weeks ago. What was it, exactly? He cupped the pill in his hands; it gave off a slight glow.

_What am I supposed to do with this?_ He thought. For some reason, boredom made figuring it out all that more important. _I'm not swallowing it. What if Luxord knew I would never take it? Is it a trap? Will I get pulled back in time? Pushed forward?_

He sighed. Only one way to find out.

Axel crushed the capsule with two fingers. The blue energy flowed out almost lazily, for a second almost acting like water. It gave the skin on his hand a strange feeling, like before a painkiller kicks in. The energy seemed to dry out, become dust; it drifted lazily on the non-existent wind before it gathered, forming a blue, shimmering entity in midair.

Axel stood up slowly, really feeling the effects of his injury now. The wound, as well as the pain, was gone, but healing magic didn't take care of the blood loss. Still, he walked over to the oval anyway and looked at it. He put his hand on the wall, maybe subconsciously hoping it would keep him anchored there. With his other hand, he reached out and brushed his fingers against the surface.

It was the weirdest sensation- like water, but not wet; like a mirror, but not still. He only had a few seconds to think before he was pulled inside.

"Nice of you to show up," Luxord commented kindly.

Axel furrowed his eyebrows. A handful of questions came to mind, but the first one he asked was, "Which one are you?"

Time was an odd element- not quite tangible, always out of reach. Having power over that which controlled the universe seemed to make Luxord a type of higher being. He'd once used his abilities to be in two places at once. Even when he was a Nobody, he still hadn't truly been one of them, physically or otherwise. Honestly, Axel had no idea who the Gambler was or about his allegiance. Chances are, he was probably playing by his own rules, or even by yet someone else's.

The Gambler smiled, Cheshire cat style. "I assure you I am entirely in the present. That wasn't so hard to figure out, no? Though I wish you'd done it sooner."

Axel looked around distractedly. "What is this place?" They seemed to be… almost in a void… and the settings around them, the gears, the machinery, it looked like… "A clock?"

"Correct."

Axel frowned. "But not a _real_ clock…"

Luxord gestured towards a door Axel hadn't noticed. "Take a look for yourself."

The pyro stared at him for a second before peeking outside. "You're kidding me…" Adding layers upon layers to Axel's confusion, they were at the top of the clock tower, in Twilight Town.

Luxord came over and stood next to him. He wasn't wearing the cloak anymore; rather, he wore a white dress shirt with a smart purple vest and red tie. He had replaced his Nobody insignia earring with that of a club. "Nice, isn't it? I daresay we should have some ice cream."

"Is this figurative or literal?" Axel asked quickly. "Just out of curiosity."

"The ice cream? Very real. This place? …It's completely figurative. Honestly, why does it even matter to you, whether things are 'totally real' or not?" Luxord shrugged. "Though I do wish you'd have come up with something more imaginative."

Axel eyed the Gambler, wondering what to ask first. "Are you human, Luxord?"

"Yes."

"How'd you figure it out?"

"I am everywhere and nowhere, Axel. I think I knew before even Demyx."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Why didn't you warn everyone?"

The Gambler frowned. "I can't do things like that. It would change the future too much. This needed to happen. Some of us needed to move on. Some of us… needed to be taken out."

Axel looked down at the imaginary street, far below them. "What did you want to show me?"

Luxord crossed his arms. "See, this is where I'm a bit of a hypocrite," he said. "There's something I need you to… prevent."

Axel raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember owing you any favors." He had always been careful to stay out of debt when it came to Luxord.

"You don't. But here's the thing… I think this might… interest you." He smiled again.

"What's the smile for? I'm not liking this," he stated bluntly.

"It's always so funny when they don't know." He stood up and walked towards the edge. "You want to find out? You're going to have to jump."

Axel looked down. Heights hadn't really been his friends. "Oh… you're kidding me."

"You won't be hurt," he said. "You're not really in your body anyway- I hope I don't have to explain that too."

"There's no other way?"

The Gambler shrugged. "Had this come up earlier in the conversation, we could have changed locations."

"Can't I just take the stairs?"

Luxord laughed at him. "I never knew you were scared of heights, sitting up here all this time!"

"I wasn't." Axel eyed the pavement. "My other was… and so I am."

Luxord rolled his eyes. "I'll go with you, you stupid ninny, if that makes you feel better."

Axel inhaled. "F-fine. I'll do it."

"Good. Time is running out." He smiled at himself.

Axel put one foot on the ledge. "Are you coming?"

"Honestly, Axel, humanity makes you another person." Luxord walked forward and, very gently, pushed him off the ledge.

Axel nearly screamed, but stopped himself at the last minute. It didn't feel like real falling, anyway, considering everything seemed to be in slow motion. Still, he braced himself for the impact.

But none came. He kept falling until Luxord caught up with him. "Enjoying the ride?" The man asked pleasantly. "We're nearly there."

In a few seconds, they touched ground- Luxord neatly, Axel crashing ungracefully. Axel recognized the place immediately. "But I was just here!"

They were in the hallways of the Castle.

"Not in this form. This takes place just a few minutes from now."

"Then you didn't have to pull me into this weird little world," Axel stated. "I could have just figured it out."

Luxord looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Not quite." He took Axel's hand and pulled him through a door, into the Round Room. It wasn't a thing Axel wanted to experience a second time.

"That's Demyx," Axel stated. "And there's Xemnas… they're shouting at each other. Why can't I hear what they're saying?"

"I'm fast forward-ing," Luxord said as casually as if he were reading a magazine. "Ah, right, here we go."

And just as suddenly, as if everything was still in fast-motion, Xemnas reappeared behind Demyx and stabbed him in the chest.

"Demyx!" Axel shouted reflexively.

"He can't hear you," Luxord reminded unnecessarily.

Xemnas reclaimed his weapon. Demyx collapsed, the blood spilling even faster than it had from Axel's arm. The blonde looked up weakly at Xemnas.

Everything stopped.

"This is what you need me to stop?" Axel asked numbly. "Demyx dying?"

Luxord nodded. "Basically, yes. There's a reason he was revived after his soul was shattered- it wasn't luck. The World needs him still."

"What for?" Axel asked, then immediately felt ashamed. "I mean, he's my friend, I'll do it… but why…?"

"Why is a mere weakling so important?" Luxord paraphrased. "That's the fun part. You'll see."

Axel frowned. "I'm not sure I follow." He looked up. "And you can't tell me anything… not even a hint?"

Luxord smiled. "Not a peep." He put a hand on Axel's shoulder. "_You'll know_. Soon enough, you'll know why. The World needs you, too." He paused. "And before I send you back, kindly don't mention this to anyone." His grip tightened on Axel's shoulder.

"Wait! Will we ever see you again? Demyx was really concerned about you…" The redhead stammered.

"Soon enough," Luxord said, and the next thing Axel knew, he was back in reality.

* * *

Axel's heart jumped. There was no reason to question whether that all had happened. Despite the fact that the whole conversation was practically imaginary, even if he did doubt its validity… he wasn't about to risk Demyx's life a second time.

(He could only see the musician with an ethereal blade sticking out of his chest. The thought made him feel sick…)

Axel stood up and nearly ran from the Proof. He had to find Sora. He had to find someone who could heal, and quickly. As he hurried, he wondered briefly over what else Luxord said… that the World needed them both. What for, to kill Xemnas? Despite the fact that Axel knew his friend might die if the Gambler hadn't intervened, he couldn't help but think that it was a lot of rule breaking for something Axel might have figured out himself.

But then… what if he was implying something of importance happened _after _Xemnas' death? What could it possibly be? Someone else coming for Kingdom Hearts?

Wouldn't Sora just take care of it? What did they have to do with it?

Speaking of which, he quickly found the Keyblade master and Kairi turning a corner, both of them with urgent looks on their faces.

"Axel, we don't have time…" Sora said quickly.

The redhead cut them off. "Demyx is in trouble," he hissed. "I need someone who can heal."

Both of them raised their eyebrows.

"That quickly?" Sora gaped. All three of them picked up speed.

"Let me do it. I'm better at white magic than you," Kairi offered. "How do you know? You were just resting."

Axel hesitated. "…I just had a hunch," he lied.

* * *

My heart was positively hammering. At that point, I became aware that every precaution we took was pretty much useless. I could feel it now- _he knew_.

I considered backing out, of course. My fingers pressed to my ear, ready to call on someone, tell them to either get here now or just drop the whole operation.

But we had come too far. I couldn't back down now, and risk letting everyone else down.

Fifteen minutes. I had to survive for fifteen minutes. I took a deep breath.

But what did I want to say to him? How could I voice my feelings? I wasn't crazy with vendetta. I didn't like everything he'd done to me, but I'd come out of it a stronger person. Somehow, logically… I knew that he had to die. He couldn't continue this existence, considering what he was doing to people. I knew that I had to be the one to kill him.

At that moment, everything felt pointless. Still, I continued anyway, my decision made. The only blood that would be spilt today was his. I would regret it later… but now, I had to go on.

I walked through, my previous anxiety gone.

I didn't look at him, but I could feel his eyes on me. Saïx was dead. He was alone. Incredibly powerful, but alone.

"You're back," he said simply.

I nodded, still not looking up.

"Silly plan, though I must admit it was clever… considering your ignorance of my sight. Who came up with it? Eight?" He asked casually, as if remarking on the weather.

I nodded again. "I know it's all pointless," I remarked. "We'd end up here no matter how much or little notice you had."

"…I'm surprised that neither of you knew better."

"It was a silly mistake," I commented.

"So what are you going to do, Nine?" He remarked, amusement in his voice. "Kill me in cold blood?"

"I do have some questions," I remarked, trying to keep my tone light. "Who are you really, Xehanort? Why did you choose me?"

"Always so selfish," he sighed. "Quite simply… you were the first one of your description I found."

"But why did you need me?"

"The details are blurred now," he admitted. "I knew that a heart full of light would be a powerful weapon for me… I guess I assumed you were the Keyblade master, the guide to our salvation." He laughed at me. "I couldn't have been more incorrect."

I wrinkled my nose. "Sorry if I disappointed you."

"Why are you wearing that hood, if you knew the plan was baseless?"

Finally I looked up at him. He looked the same as ever, casually sitting on his chair. The room was entirely empty aside from the two of us. My eyes lingered on my own throne. I took off the hood. "Playing along, I suppose. Call it vain hope."

"I am quite surprised you're still alive and so healthy," he commented. "That serum should have destroyed you."

"It nearly did. I had some help." The tension was getting to me. Could we just fight already?

"I can't let you live, Nine," Xemnas told me. "There's a plan now, you hear? You're not just a silly little human anymore. They've picked up on you. Thought they found something good."

That sounded crazy. _He_ sounded crazy. Who was he referring to?

"I guess I should have known all along," he continued. "After all, such a pure heart and soul don't bode well."

I still didn't understand. Instinctively, I tensed, preparing to back away… maybe run.

It all happened so quickly. I went to summon my sitar, but even in the few half-seconds that passed, he was quicker. Xemnas was behind me… and with absolutely no warning, his blade pierced my back… it was only millimeters from my heart; I could feel the warmth.

There was no pain; it happened too quickly for my body to comprehend. Yet, every nerve seemed to slacken; I fell forward without my own permission, sliding grotesquely off the weapon.

Only then did the pain kick in.

I refused to scream, even though there was nothing quite like it. I forced myself to keep still, and not to thrash, for two reasons; the first, I would lose still more blood, and the second, I wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

But Xemnas had done his work well. He'd cut through some of my major veins and arteries. I could only gape, eyes bulging, at the blood running through my fingertips. It was like someone had turned on a faucet.

I couldn't even heal. He'd hit me in such a precarious place that if I tried, it might just kill me quicker. This was the end.

I'd never get to say goodbye… to anyone. Why had I gotten so caught up in this? I doubted I would get a _fourth_ chance at life, between becoming a Nobody, becoming human, and being resurrected once…

_I am so stupid,_ I thought, as the blackness began to close in. _Now I just hurt everyone…_

Xemnas, noticing I was fading, gave me a kick in the stomach for good measure. The blood flow strengthened for a moment.

He could have just snapped my spine, or cut my head off. He didn't need to kill me this way. It had to be one of the most painful ways to die.

Deliriously, I thought that maybe for a moment, I could hear Death. I'd never imagined Death having a woman's voice, but he- I'm sorry, she- did. And she knew my name.

"Demyx?"

Death's fingers were warm. And clammy.

I wondered if she would think it rude if I fell asleep.

I slipped right under.

* * *

It was easy to believe Axel. Despite the fact that Sora had only known Demyx for a little while, he couldn't risk his life, not when he was so vital in this plan.

They followed Axel, who seemed much more panicked than they. It had to be serious. Admittedly, the Keyblade wielder considered treachery from the both of them- but he couldn't sense that Axel wasn't to be trusted. Sora was becoming more and more psychic as time passed, he knew. It made things easier to deal with.

The redhead skidded to a stop. The door was open, but they couldn't see anything outright. Axel glanced around, heart pounding, until finally he found what he was looking for.

He was right in just immediately going to go find them; he wouldn't have had time to run here, find Sora, and get back. Seconds mattered, at this point.

"He's not here," Axel murmured. "Where did Xemnas go?"

And it was true. The Superior, thinking his work gone, had just vanished. That wasn't important now.

"Oh, gosh. Look at all the blood…" Kairi whispered.

She was right. Underneath the wounded heap that was Demyx was more blood than Axel thought was in a human's body. He wasn't moving.

_If he's dead… then what will happen? What's so important that Luxord had to summon me here? Maybe he was really against us and we never knew? …Yet, I don't feel he was being vindictive…_

The three of them skidded to a stop by Demyx. Kairi felt for a pulse and sighed in relief. "He's still alive."

"Can you heal him?" Axel asked desperately.

"I could try… I've never dealt with something this serious." She pressed her slightly glowing palm onto his back. "And he's lost a lot of blood…" Kairi looked down and winced, clearing saying this was an understatement. "But Demyx… I think he'll live, if I can get him stable."

The young musician winced and stirred.

"Demyx?"

* * *

Dimly, I heard my name.

"Demyx?"

This wasn't death, I knew automatically. If I were dead, I wouldn't be lying in my own blood. If I were dead, nothing would be this bright… and if I were dead, I wouldn't hurt this much.

The pool of blood wasn't very reassuring. Yet, I didn't feel dizzy or lightheaded just now- I guess my powers had taken over.

I blinked and looked over slowly.

"You're okay," Axel said breathlessly.

I blinked again. It was too bright here. "Yeah…" I tried to sit up, but Kairi pushed me back down.

"You need to relax. I'm not done healing you yet." She looked puzzled. "I'm surprised you're conscious… you were pretty badly injured."

I paused. "…I have a habit of springing back. My powers… they make up for the blood loss. I'll be fine in a few minutes."

"You're not fighting him," Sora stated. "You're too weak. I can't risk your life again, Demyx."

I opened my mouth. I couldn't tell my own feelings on the matter. Now that I knew what could happen, I wondered if Sora was right- well, of course he was right. I had almost just died.

Did I still feel like I had to be the one to kill Xemnas? I wasn't so sure. I stared up at the ceiling, arms splayed. Kairi finished healing my wound, looking significantly more exhausted. For a beat, we all just sat there in silence.

Physically, I felt pretty terrible. I felt dizzy, even somewhat dehydrated, which told me how serious my injury was. My body ached, and the wound was making even a simple action like breathing hurt. Yes, it was a bad idea for me to so much as move.

It took me a few minutes to work up the courage, but finally I asked, "can I at least clean up the blood?"

Sora looked startled. "Of course," he said weakly. I wondered what was going on in his head. Xemnas was nowhere to be seen. I wondered if he thought I had warned him to run away, or if he really trusted me at this point. There was a lot of room for thought.

Axel helped me sit up. The warmth of another human being was reassuring- it made me realize that this had all really happened.

I swept a little water over the floor until finally it was white again, and then washed the rest of it off myself. Straining myself so soon hadn't been a good idea. I had to lie back down for several minute to keep my head from spinning. Yes, I was in no condition to fight, even if he did come back… which was doubtful. Where would he go? He _could_ go anywhere… I had never known Xemnas to go to other worlds, but he definitely had to have other plans… other places to be, in case of an emergency like this.

"I'm sorry," I finally said, unable to look at Sora.

The Keyblade master furrowed his eyebrows. "What for?"

"I don't know… he's probably gone for good now. I didn't even last thirty seconds against him."

Sora sighed. "I don't know how to feel about it. But as long as you're alive…"

I closed my eyes. "How are you so nonchalant about it? We all thought it would end here. Now we have to look for him _again_. Why even bother?"

"He needs to be stopped," Sora recited numbly.

"But now Kingdom Hearts is useless to him…" Axel murmured. "Yet it seems he'd just try to build it again, elsewhere, now that he knows we can get here."

"I guess that means I was too late," a voice said sourly from behind us.

Everyone, excluding me, suddenly whirled around.

"Who is it?" I asked quickly.

Axel propped an arm under me and helped me sit up.

It was Xigbar. I barely recognized him. His hair was even grayer, and his face had an odd, gaunt look to it that screamed unhealthiness. He no longer wore the cloak- a recurring piece of symbolism, it seemed- but instead, a plain white shirt and jeans. He held his two guns to his side. His hair was no longer in its usual ponytail. It hung in front of his face, making him look like he'd been in the run.

"What are you doing here?" Axel asked. "I thought you were in Traverse Town."

"I _was_," Xigbar continued. "It didn't take me long until I came back here. Xemnas… he's mine."

"Little problem with that," I spat. "He's gone. Disappeared."

The Freeshooter looked at me, startled. "You're still alive?"

I scowled. "Nice to see you too."

"But… how?"

I frowned. "It's a long story."

Xigbar looked around, his hair fanning everywhere. "Where could he have gone?"

"Demyx was the only one who went near him," Axel explained. "Xemnas thought he killed him and left."

"Do you think he didn't want to risk running into us?" Sora asked. He was pale, seeing Xigbar and how he knew him. It was getting difficult for him to believe we were all on the same side, I guessed.

"No," Xigbar said, putting his hands on his hips. "Actually, I'm not sure. He wanted to use you for the Keyblade, obviously, so he could complete Kingdom Hearts. But now that it's been destroyed- I saw it when I first arrived- I don't know what he'll do. I'm not sure if he ever had a back-up plan."

"So do we just start combing the castle?" Sora asked politely.

"You could, but it's just a waste of time," Axel told him darkly. "This place is huge."

"Even I didn't know about all of the rooms," Xigbar added. "This place has just such an unstable existence- things tend to disappear and reappear later."

Sora jolted. "Could the same thing happen with Xemnas?"

"What do you mean?" I asked. "He's a Nobody. His life force is independent of this place."

Xigbar paused. "If you think about it, it makes sense. Regularly, we all used to leave this place for missions. We established our own life forces. But Xemnas never left; even I've never heard of him leaving. Maybe it is like that… but that'll just make him the harder to find. We'll never be able to find him… not if he doesn't want to be found."

We all took a collective breath.

"It's just so horrible," Sora whispered. "All I've done to this point equates to nothing if I don't destroy him. He'll just make more Nobodies, build a new Organization."

"Why don't we all go back to Hollow Bastion for a while?" I offered. "We need time to regroup."

"Sounds good," Sora said weakly. Kairi merely nodded. She'd been listening so hard she hadn't spoken at all. "Yes, they'll probably have an answer."

And I needed to see Aerith. Badly. Kairi had patched me up for the time being, but I wasn't sure how long it would last. Axel pulled my arm onto his shoulder and helped me up.

"You going to be okay?" He asked in a soft voice.

"I think," I whispered. "I was just so… dead set on us defeating him."

"We all were," Xigbar answered dolefully. "You guys wouldn't… mind if I went with you, would you?"

"Demyx and I don't, but it's not our ride," Axel said. Even the simple action of walking made me dizzy. I leaned heavily on my friend.

We hadn't even left the room. The whiteness seemed never to end; I felt sure I was going to faint. I closed my eyes, but had only had them shut for a split second before I heard the door slip shut.

"What? No, no, no, no!" Sora gasped, banging on the door. I furrowed my eyebrows. It only opened from the outside…

"The only way to freedom is through me…" came the voice, very softly, from behind us.

We all turned, Axel and I with some difficulty.

Surely enough there he stood, floating in midair, high above everything. I had never seen him like this. Gray nothingness crackled around him; his coat seemed to have changed. Instead of being only black, it was now patterned with a deep blue. Xemnas' eyes seemed to positively glow.

Axel scowled. "You're an idiot, you know? You had the chance to escape! Why didn't you take it?" His lip curled, turning into a smirk. "Yet, I'm surprisingly glad you didn't… now you have no way to escape, either…"

Xemnas smirked, too. "It seems that way." His eyes fell on me. "You survived after all. I'm not in the least surprised. You seem to have luck on your side…"

"Xemnas," Sora murmured. "It doesn't have to be this way, you know." He gripped his Keyblade.

"Don't even bother. There's no good left in him anymore," Xigbar told him.

"Go ahead," Xemnas challenged. "Kill me now, with a single bullet!"

Xigbar lifted a single gun.

"He's just going to dodge, and they're going to rebound," Axel spat.

The Freeshooter ignored him. He pulled the trigger, sending a spray of pink bullets. Xemnas did doge; he warped, heading straight for Sora. Axel, Xigbar, and I ducked, Xigbar quickly pulling Kairi out of the way. Axel gently let go of me. He and Xigbar stood up.

Kairi made to go with them. "I have a Keyblade. I want to fight too!"

"No," Axel told her firmly. "You two need to stay here. Kairi, you're inexperienced. Demyx, you're hurt."

I opened my mouth. This was meant to be _my_ battle. I couldn't sit here… I _wouldn't _sit here… But my body was powerless. I was too weak.

I watched wordlessly as they headed straight into battle.

Kairi and I watched it unfold raptly. Where were the King, Riku, and the others? Were they just hanging around? I seriously considered contacting them… but how would they get in? Xemnas had sealed the door… I could see the seal on it. I doubted any Keyblade would be able to break it.

Xemnas had summoned his clones. They darted around, all incomprehensible blurs. The only person who could keep up with he and they was Xigbar, who was teleporting like bad. The three of them had become a team- Xigbar dealt with the clones, Axel got rid of the twines of nothingness, and Sora was the melee warrior. But even the three of them… some of the three most powerful fighters… seemed to barely match his power.

With a wave of his hand, Xigbar was thrown into the wall- I heard the sickening thud of his skull. He was knocked unconscious, his guns vanishing. Kairi rushed over, I could see her. She felt his pulse, touched his skull. Her fingers were trembling. She darted back over. "He's alive," she whispered. "He's just… unconscious. He might have fractured his skull."

Now it was Sora and Axel, going at him ruthlessly, but still not putting out very much of a fight.

Sora struck, his Keyblade bouncing off the ethereal blades with a spark. Xemnas slashed; however, Sora's reflexes were much better than he expected, and instead of goring the Keyblader in the head, Sora merely received a slight cut on the cheek. Sora made to hit him again, but Xemnas parried; it became a game of hit-and-parry, Sora being forced to step backwards.

That was one thing I noticed; every time Xemnas fought someone, he focused his whole being on that one person, instead letting the clones take care of everyone else. But Axel took on the clones easily- he ran for Xemnas, chakram poised in a way so that the blade would stab him. The pyro leapt; Xemnas anticipated his actions, grabbed his arms and swung him for a moment (a brutal parody of a father trying to entertain a child) before letting him fly. Axel hit the wall and fell into a crumpled heap.

Sora looked horrified. He jumped back, pressed a hand to his heart, and was briefly enveloped in light. He reemerged in a second, his outfit now white, two Keyblades suspended overhead and controlled with what seemed to be telekinesis.

I stood; ignoring the pitching floor, I summoned my sitar and ran over.

Kairi seemed to have lost her voice. She looked at Xigbar, to Axel, to me, and finally to Sora. She tried to say something, but failed.

Sora looked at me, too. For a moment, he almost tried to tell me to go back, but finally decided against it when he realized he needed all the help he could get.

My resolve was set. I would see Xemnas was defeated even if it killed me.

I started to play a song, very softly.

Xemnas laughed at me. "What do you expect that to do? Are you lamenting your end already?"

I didn't respond; just let the melody come out. It was all so soft. I wasn't even sure whether or not this would work.

The harmony grew in strength and intensity. I closed my eyes. I hadn't tried something so daring since the night of the storm. I was playing my own battle song now, turning the raw emotion and fear into strength, and… power.

Behind Xemnas, my efforts started to show. The water was seeping through the ground becoming something alive, pulling against gravity and rising up against him.

Sora realized what I was trying to do and spared half a grin at me. His two Keyblades crossed for a second, before flying into Xemnas, forcing him into our trap.

Xemnas struggled to escape, but found that he couldn't. I smirked. He wouldn't even be able to teleport. On impulse, I turned and froze the whole thing.

"Now, how do we kill him?" Sora asked, delighted.

"Easy. You'll have to splinter the whole thing."

The ice cracked; the sound was nearly deafening.

"Are you doing that?" I asked in a soft voice, stepping back.

"No," Sora choked.

The ice cracked again. I grabbed Sora's shoulder. "_Duck!_"

Ice shards flew everywhere. I knew that if it hit any one of us, it would impact like a knife.

Luckily, all of the largest shards missed us; still, little ones scraped my face, neck, and collarbone, any bit of exposed skin it could find. Sora was even worse; with his short sleeves and pants, he looked like he had walked through a pricker bush.

I looked towards Axel and the others. Just below the main dais that was out battleground, they had been left out of the worst as well.

Xemnas stood, clutching one of his ethereal blades, looking entirely unharmed.

Sora swore. His white costume was gone now; it had reverted back to his normal outfit.

"It's useless," the Superior said. "Nothing you can do can harm me."

"Oh, really?" Sora remarked. He clutched his Keyblade in front of him. The air crackled with electricity; there was a huge jolt of lightning, which hit Xemnas directly. Sora seemed to have mastered Thundaja.

Before he collapsed, Xemnas threw his ethereal blade at Sora- it hit him in the calf, evidentially breaking a bone, because Sora fell and let out a yelp.

I turned automatically; the Keyblade master looked at me. "Do it! Do it now!"

With barely a thought, I bound him to the nearest throne pillar. Unable to break the magic, Xemnas just stared at me, silently daring me to kill him.

My heart was racing. I glanced to each one of them in turn- Xemnas, Sora, Kairi, Axel, Xigbar- and back again. I stepped backwards.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sora yelled at me. "Stop standing there and kill him!" I'd never heard him angrier.

My will wavered.

"Here, take this!" He continued. "Use this to do it!"

He threw an object at me; without realizing it, I caught it.

It was his Keyblade. The metal was cold against my bare palm, but yet… somehow, it burned. A place very close to my heart burned too, like my wound was flaring up again.

Deciding to think later, I grasped the blade more comfortably, walking up to him casually, and went to stab him in the chest.

This time, it wasn't my resolve that weakened- the Keyblade had barely broken through the magic bonds before Xemnas seized me. The weapon went flying; Xemnas grabbed my neck, going to snap it-

Before he could kill me, there was the distinct sound of metal biting flesh.

Sora had healed his leg, reclaimed his weapon, and stabbed him through the center of his back, all within a few seconds.

Xemnas collapsed to the side. I scrambled away. Blackness flared all around him as he started to fade.

"You may have won," he said sharply. "But it's not over yet. It won't be over… Sora." Xemnas chuckled. "You'd best watch yourselves… both of you." He glanced to be now, and with a smirk, faded into darkness.

"He's dead… he's got to be!" Sora gasped. "What do you think he meant?"

"He was just being a villain," I assured him. "I've seen Nobodies fade. He's dead." I felt the certainty of my own words. "Xemnas is dead."

We both assessed ourselves quickly- nothing broken on me, I only had bruises and scrapes. Sora, too, seemed fine.

It was as if a colossal weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I wanted to cry, but restrained myself.

"You… you sure you're okay?" Sora asked. "I know it's a big thing."

"I'm fine," I murmured, placing my hand on my chest. "It's okay." Yet, as soon as those words were out of my mouth, the place where I'd been wounded flared up again, white hot now. It felt like something burning was trying to work its way into my chest.

The ground swayed. I collapsed.

* * *

I opened my eyes slowly. I was lying on the cold ground, staring up at the night sky. For all I knew, I was back home, and none of this had ever happened.

Of course, I thought that until I realized I was still wearing the Organization Cloak and was sore all over.

I looked around the area lazily- all around me were little clumps of people. Sora, Riku, and Kairi had their own corner- so did Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. All of them were talking feverishly, savoring the time they had.

I discovered that I was part of a group, too- one that consisted of Axel, Xigbar, and I.

I sat up slowly. Axel met my eyes and nodded.

"Look who's awake," Xigbar said with a smirk.

I blinked. "How long was I out?"

"No more than an hour or two," Axel replied sternly, and then smiled at me. "Time is pretty unrelated."

"So he really is…" I began, but found myself unable to finish the sentence.

"Dead," Xigbar finished for me.

"Oh," I said in a soft voice. "That's nice."

"That's all you have to say?" Axel asked. "I'm surprised."

Truth was, I felt relieved, like burden had been lifted off my shoulders. I looked around, hugging my knees to my chest. Sora caught my eye and waved. I waved back.

It all seemed a little too easy. Sure, it had been a pain fighting him- we'd very nearly lost. I'd very nearly died, if it hadn't been for Kairi. Still, it was so _strange_ for it to have ended. The whole thing was over, out of mind, and I never needed to worry about it again.

Organization XIII was merely part of history now. It could never terrorize people again. Axel and I were human; Xigbar was too, I supposed, though he'd never outright stated it. We'd survived. Everything was okay now.

Neither of them commented when I buried my face in my knees for a few minutes.

I heard footsteps behind me and looked up; Sora and his friends had come over to us.

"You guys ready to leave this place?"

"I think so," Axel said tentatively. "Nothing's keeping me."

Sora looked to me now. I paused. "There's something I want to get… from my old room… is that okay?"

Sora nodded. "Sure. Take all the time you need."

I stood slowly, ignoring the rush of vertigo. Axel went to help me, but I shook my head. "I'm okay. I'd rather go alone."

It felt so weird, walking these hallways alone. They didn't hold any dread for me now. I watched lesser Nobodies bustle about, unsure of what to do now that their masters were gone. I afforded an indulgent smile to a few Dancers, but didn't tell them anything; they followed pretty far behind me, out of curiosity. They didn't know what to do. I knew the feeling.

Finally, I found my room. It was as white and featureless as it had always been. I didn't feel the need to reminisce. Instead, I walked over to my desk. My own footsteps made more noise than I thought possible. I found what I was looking for almost immediately.

Scores, packed into one book; everything I'd written in three years. I thumbed through it for a moment, amazed by how different I used to be. I would even go so far as to say that the person who composed these and I were different people. And we were. I knew that by going home, I was leaving more than a castle behind.

I wondered whether I should take the compositions with me. They were written with such emptiness… I wondered if I could rewrite them over time, add life to something hollow. I hugged the book tightly to my chest before setting it aside for a moment.

I went over to the balcony. There was no wind, though it felt like it should be. I took off my one glove, putting it into the pocket. Slipping the whole thing off, I stared at it for a moment, feeling everything tied to it- the memories, the pain- and just pitched it off the side of the building.

I watched it fall, until finally it disappeared into the abyss. Feeling like I accomplished something, I picked up the scores and turned my back on the castle for the last time.

I hadn't even realized I had spoken until the word was out of my mouth. "Goodbye…"

* * *

Getting home was the easy part. Like Sora had said this morning, which felt like a million years ago, we were back by the afternoon- however, it was getting dark.

Figuring out the whole transportation issue had taken a little while. First of all, there was more of us than Sora's ship could take- finally, it was compromised that Mickey would bring Donald and Goofy there with his Star Shard, which worked as a teleportation device; Xigbar would meet us there with his own teleportation powers; and that left the remaining five of us to pack into Sora's ship.

The journey wasn't very long. I dozed half the time, only to be woken by Axel when we finally arrived. Everyone would stay the night in town. Meanwhile, I knew I needed to get home and to rest. I was beyond exhausted.

After assuring Axel I would go home and rest, I went over to the Wall to think for a moment. My brain felt like mush.

Where would I go now? There was an endless list of possibilities. I wanted to look into that little book of compositions, really delve into it. Once I finished that project… who knew?

I had plenty of time to wonder. I was safe. I had friends, family, and a place where I belonged. I had my sitar, and a heart. What else could I possibly need?

For a moment, I looked at my hands curled in my lap. They were still scratched from the ice.

"…I knew you'd come back." The voice was softer than I expected. A familiar figure walked over and stood in front of me. "The others were just talking about you. Why weren't you celebrating with them?"

I smiled. "I needed some time alone."

"So he's gone?"

I blinked. "Yes. He's not going to bother us again."

Yuffie grinned too, taking my hands. "You know what this means, right?"

"What?"

"We can finally go to the beach together."

And as I kissed her, I felt pretty confident in the future, and that somehow, everything would be okay.

* * *

First of all, I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I had about half of it written last week. I always knew it'd be a long one; I'm sorry for the fourteen pages XD.  
There is no real way to excuse why I was so late other than... this chapter was incredibly difficult for me to write. Not only was I almost saying goodbye to my best story on here, I was fighting writer's block the whole time. All in all, I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out, especially the interaction between Axel and Luxord, though not so much the actual battle itself.

So this story is finished, aside from the epilogue. I'm not sure when I'll post it, to be honest, but I'll try to do it as soon as possible, maybe within the week.

I'd like to thank you all for your devotion and support to this story. It's meant a lot to me as a writer. But I know that I'll see you all again, particularly if anyone's also doing NaNoWriMo. :)

Please tell me what you think. Anything goes. Oh, and before I close this story up, any final questions, comments...?

Special thank you to _**NinjaSheik, Zexiontwo, Zemby, The Infiniator, Willowfur, TheChel, Mystical, The Ninja And The Writer, **_anonymous reviewer _**Wolven24KH**_, and Anna for your reviews.

Next update: unknown; hopefully within the week


	30. Epilogue: The Sea

**Disclaimer: For the last time, I don't own anything.**

Chapter Thirty/ Epilogue  
The Sea

I must have slept for at least eighteen hours once we got back. There was no reason for me to be so utterly exhausted, but after yesterday, probably the longest day of my entire life, I felt like I deserved it.

When I woke up, it was early afternoon. I was sore all over but ignored the feeling as I got up and went over to the window. I glanced outside for a second and watched the people pass by.

There was a weird smorgasbord of emotions going on inside me. The two most prevalent were relief and joy. It was finally over. Xemnas would never come back to haunt us again. Axel and I were free to live our lives as humans, along with Xigbar and Luxord. True, we might have been the only four to survive, but that was four more than any of us expected. Besides… none of the other members seemed to have earned it.

In my half-asleep state, I closed the curtain and reveled for a moment. Finally, I motivated myself to clean up and get dressed, and I went down to Merlin's.

The whole place was in cheerful disarray. There were more people here than there had been for a while; the people I knew to be there, Yuffie, Aerith, Leon, Cid, and Axel; Sora, Kairi, and Riku; King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy; and the two people I expected to see the least, Xigbar and Luxord.

Xigbar I knew about; he had tried to help us in the battle yesterday; but I was surprised no one was freaking out about Luxord, considering everyone knew him to part of the Organization.

I approached him slowly. He didn't wear the cloak; instead, he wore a white shirt, a violet vest, and a red tie. He smiled at me in that way of his.

"This is quite the party," Luxord said casually.

"How long have you been here?"

"Since this morning," he remarked. "I found that I had to pay my friend a visit. He was worrying about me."

I couldn't find anything to say. "How'd you know?"

"Axel," Luxord said, gesturing towards him. Axel was talking with Yuffie and Leon, and apparently one of them had said something funny. "We had… kind of a chat about you."

"…Oh."

He smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. "Hey! Don't worry. It's time for us to celebrate."

"Did you hear? Old Lux and I are human, too," Xigbar commented, slapping his friend on the back.

"Great. I'm happy for you two."

"Now, what's wrong?" Luxord asked. "You seem off all of a sudden."

I smiled quickly. "No, I'm fine, really. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

I walked over to Axel and Yuffie.

Axel noticed my expression and smirked. "It's going to be weird getting used to those two. They can cause quite a lot of trouble."

Yuffie took my hand and winked.

"Are you doing okay?" Leon asked. "I heard you were hurt."

"I'm fine now, thanks," I murmured.

"Later, I want you two to give me an account of what happened. We need to know," Leon said. "I doubt something like this will ever happen again… but to be honest, we're all curious."

"Yes, what did him in?" Yuffie asked eagerly.

I smiled and laughed at her. "It's… a weird story."

"Guess you could consider it long," Axel added, nodding.

Yuffie shrugged. "Well, we've got to start somewhere."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I was cut off by the sound of a door opening and a man's voice asking, "Um… this is the Restoration Committee's base… right?"

He was a tall, well-built young man with spiky black hair. He wore a black uniform and carried what was unmistakably a buster sword on his back.

I had no idea who he was. But from the high-pitched shriek that had suddenly come from Aerith as she ran to embrace him, I knew that Zack had come home, too.

* * *

A few weeks passed and summer came, mercilessly hot. Everyone avoided going outside if they could manage it. It was so much easier to stay in the cooler stone buildings and nap. Even Leon, who would stop at nothing when it came to his job, became lethargic and snappish.

It was then Yuffie suggested we go to the beach, as she'd been trying to do all summer; everyone else had been beating around the bush, claiming work and other things. She remained persistent, however, and it wasn't difficult to convince them. Finally, one day, we went down, Zack in tow.

I wasn't sure what to think about him. He was nice, very easygoing, and had a good sense of humor. He and Aerith were now together, which was good for them. There was just such mystery surrounding his reappearance; he never said where he'd come from and what had happened in the time that he was gone. He'd also never mentioned Tifa, the other friend Yuffie had told me about a while ago, even though she and Zack were once very close friends.  
Aerith never asked, too overjoyed at her old friend coming home; I'd have guessed she'd be the most curious of them all.

And with Zack, came Cloud. Cloud had been here the whole time; he'd just never showed himself, too scared what the others would think. He'd been battling his darkness, which had been incarnated in a man named Sephiroth, or so he thought; once Cloud had defeated him, he came to us, if shyly.

Cloud and Zack had evidentially once been best friends, but it had clearly been a while since the two were close. Cloud had seemingly changed, from the way the two would argue.

And on the subject of Cloud… he and I clashed like oil and water. Cloud _was_ that sort of mopey person who cut people out of his life to 'protect them' from his darkness. Even though he'd gotten over it, the melodramatic way he acted sometimes didn't exactly warm me to him.

Despite the new rifts between friends that weren't there at one point, everyone still acted friendly when we went to the beach, but once we got there, we split into distinct groups- Zack and Aerith, with Cloud; Cid and Leon, who appeared ill at ease and wondered why they'd even come; and Yuffie, Axel, and I.

I was surprised that Yuffie wasn't staying with her old friends, but I didn't mind at all. We had become almost inseparable recently, and that had been a great subject of jest. I sighed and sat in the hot sand. She came over and sat next to me, leaning into my shoulder. It was getting later now.

"Yuffie?" My voice was low. I cleared my throat.

"Hm?"

"What do you think is going to happen?" It was a question I'd been meaning to ask. Things were too good now to be permanent.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. To us. In general." It was hard to word my feelings. I laced my fingers through hers. "I'm not used to this. _Normalcy_."

"…I forgot."

"I want us to be together. I want to _live_. But how? What do I do now? I thought everything would be clearer once he's gone…"

"You'll figure it out," she said softly. "We're all here, you know. No one's going anywhere."

"Yeah, I… know."

And the resulting kiss made me think that, while I didn't know how the future was going to turn out, I was ready to go forward anyway.

* * *

Several months passed. Sora and all his friends had to leave, but they promised to keep in touch. I knew we wouldn't forget.

Living a normal life was so _weird_. Even when I had first been human, my life had never been like this. It felt good. I never felt like I was intruding. I belonged here, I really did.

We discovered not too long after fighting Xemnas that this town's name was actually Radiant Garden. For some reason, after darkness reached this world, its inhabitants forgot its true identity. The computer told us everything, now that Cid had managed to get into it.

Axel stayed on the committee with the rest of us. Eventually, we moved in together, because I couldn't bank on the owner of the boarding house's hospitality forever.

As for Xigbar and Luxord… they stayed here, too. I wasn't sure what both of them did for a living, and each had questionable morals, but they found a way to comfortably get by. Often they tried to get Axel and I to come with them for drinks.

Aside from our work with the committee- which, I soon discovered, was a lot more than Heartless patrol; with the Organization gone, it was easy to start rebuilding; houses didn't make themselves, and there were only so many people willing to help- I got a job to support myself, working in a music store downtown. Axel worked, too, at a videogame programming company, and Yuffie started to teach at a dojo.

It was time to consider what I'd do with myself. I knew automatically that I wanted to compose, and perform; even if the scores I'd written as a Nobody were still untouched. Still, somehow, I had to make a career out of it. Axel recommended I teach, which I thought was a good idea, and Aerith told me to go learn how to teach properly, and that meant college.

I wasn't too thrilled with that idea at first. The community college didn't even have reason to accept me; I'd never even finished high school. When I begrudgingly went and spoke with the admissions people, they were delighted to take me on. I started to believe that they didn't turn anyone away.

Aerith even asked me if I'd like to train to become a white mage, because she once saw how well I was able to heal a particularly nasty scraped knee of Yuffie's. I obliged, and found I actually liked the field of study.

I soon discovered I was very busy, between school, work, training, and my relationship with Yuffie. Before I even realized what happened, nearly two years had passed.

* * *

One day, as Axel let himself back into the apartment after a long day at work, he discovered a letter for himself in the mailbox. This in itself was odd; normally Demyx received all the mail, between his friendships and taking care of all the bills (something he refused to allow Axel to do after the redhead misplaced their electricity bill and caused the power to be off for several days). No, Axel wasn't nearly as popular. There was no return address on the front, and when he flipped it over, the name he found surprised him.

_Sora Awai  
15 Clearwater Ave.  
__Honba, Destiny Islands_

Raising his eyebrows, the redhead looked around furtively even though he knew he was alone; Demyx was in classes and wouldn't be back for several hours. He slipped his thumb under the tab and opened the envelope.

Sora had never made an attempt to contact Axel before; normally, he always spoke to him through Demyx's letters, and his questions were never beyond the average- asking how he was doing and so forth. It wasn't even something Axel really minded, even though he was Roxas' Somebody- the feelings of longing for his lost friend seemed to have disappeared with his status as a Nobody. It was a little sad, actually.

Axel took the paper out of the envelope. It was surprisingly brittle, and the handwriting indicated it had been written in a hurry. The first line, written clumsily, took up almost half the paper.

_Are you alone?_

Axel furrowed his eyebrows. Was Sora trying to play matchmaker? That was something that the others had tried to do for some time, but if they wanted Sora to do it, it really was getting pathetic. However, the next line caught him off guard.

_Do not let Demyx see this._

Axel walked over and sat on the couch, still staring at it. What did Sora want to keep from his friend, and why was he telling Axel about it? The words continued on in a hurry-

_Look, I know you're close, and I'm sorry to have to speak through you… but you're the only one I can think of to make this decision. I briefly considered Yuffie; but I knew she would tell him straightaway. I'm not sure either of them is ready to hear this, in fact._

Axel could imagine Sora saying this, fidgeting nervously. What was so important that he had to write a letter to Axel? And a decision? Demyx was fully capable of taking care of himself; why did Axel have to make a choice depending on his well-being?

_I'm sorry to put this on you, but I can't think of anyone else. I've made a mistake, and I need your help. I need all of you to help, in time, but right now, I need you to keep this a secret._

And the remainder of the letter Axel never finished, because the next lines made him drop the paper in shock. 

* * *

So it's over! And I'm so sad! The following lines were originally kept in the epilogue, but I decided to cut them out because it felt like it was the wrong time to reveal the information.

I _will_ be posting the sequel; in fact, I've already finished several chapters. However, I will be publishing it on Thursday, under the title _**Eternal Nocturne.**_ You can either temporarily Author Alert me or check my page late on Thursday if you want to read it, which I am not forcing anyone to do. However, I am really excited about it; I think a lot of you guys will like it, and I'm glad that this story isn't quite finished. I've been writing at this for nearly two years, so it should be fun to have the sequel finally see daylight, after countless drafts...

Thank you, all of you, for your contributions, whether it be ideas, praise, critique, or otherwise. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. Even now, looking back to the first chapter of this and the very first chapter of NR, I've seen how much I've developed as a writer. Thank you all; you all helped me so much, even though it might not look like it straight away.

I assure you I will work just as hard towards the sequel- hopefully the chapters won't be posted with delay!

Thank you _**Dragginninja, Zexiontwo, Willowfur, TheChel, NinjaShiek, Mystical, The Ninja And The Writer**_, anonymous reviewer **_Wolven24KH,_** and Anna for your review last chapter.

Also, thank you to _**Ranyo Malight, The Moon's Berserk, NinjaShiek, Ravenr20, Sora Tayuya, SoraIsMyHomeboy, The Waterbender, Kutlessrocker, Zexiontwo, ContessaTheBrave, DJ36521, Zemby, TheEspadaSisters, vildtiger, AsianTwinkiesFTW, roxy mccartney, Chiaroscurist, moonstone.78, The Infiniator, Phantom Hunter of the Soul, IenzosShuggaCharra,**_ and _**Azelf1717**_ for twenty-nine chapters of wonderful reviews. Have some cookies. 3

Let's not forget _**Wolven24KH, Mystical, ArmyOfDuctTape, I don't have an account, aLItTlEheLP, Zexionisawesome,**_ and _**WinxKHeartsPitchiMewSailorFan, **_because while you might not have accounts, you're all just as important. 3 and savor those hearts, because I never type them.

I hope to see you all at the sequel, or around the site. Lead strong lives. Stay clean. XD Enjoy good books and stories. I love you all!

Peace,

Princess of Rose _aka_ Alice.

P.S. Please check out _**Eternal Nocturne**_ on Thurday!


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